Background and Rationale. The chemical composition of sorghum biomass will significantly influence the logistics of harvesting, transport, storage, processing, pretreatment processes, conversion efficiency and yield of biofuels per dry ton. Therefore, an early objective of this project is to characterize the range of biomass composition present in sorghum germplasm and to identify biomass composition traits that need to be selected for during the breeding process. In addition, the capability to conduct rapid NIR-based composition analysis for sorghum will allow allelic variation that modulates composition to be mapped and the corresponding genes identified and patented. CERES is establishing a state-of-the-art biomass composition-testing laboratory in California. This laboratory will be able to carry out chemical analysis of biomass required to establish standard curves for NIR-based analysis. TAES/CERES propose to establish a biomass composition-testing laboratory at TAES in order to assay several thousand samples generated each cycle of sorghum breeding and to enable genetic analysis of composition traits. The details of this activity are described below.
Appears in 4 contracts
Sources: Sponsored Research Agreement (Ceres, Inc.), Sponsored Research Agreement (Ceres, Inc.), Sponsored Research Agreement (Ceres, Inc.)