Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Griffin, Georgia » Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #318197
Title: Characterization of some useful traits in sweet sorghum for bioenergy production

Author
item Wang, Ming
item Tonnis, Brandon
item Pinnow, David
item Burow, Gloria
item Xin, Zhanguo
item Cuevas, Hugo
item Eggleston, Gillian
item YU, JIANMING - Iowa State University
item Pederson, Gary

Submitted to: Plant Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/11/2015
Publication Date: 7/27/2015
Citation: Wang, M.L., Tonnis, B.D., Pinnow, D.L., Burow, G.B., Xin, Z., Cuevas, H.E., Eggleston, G., Yu, J., Pederson, G.A. 2015. Characterization of some useful traits in sweet sorghum for bioenergy production. Plant Biology. Paper No. 1100-029-Z.

Interpretive Summary: Multiple yearly harvests can increase crop productivity but the crop may encounter different environmental challenges (such as early-spring cold or late-fall frost) depending on cultivation zones. Sweet sorghum as a feedstock may be planted early to get a double harvest or be rotated with sugarcane in the same year for bioenergy production in certain Southeast regions of the U.S. For double harvests of sweet sorghum or rotation of sweet sorghum with sugarcane within the same year, we screened sweet sorghum accessions within the USDA germplasm collection for early-spring cold tolerance, double cutting, and late-fall frost tolerance. We identified a few sweet sorghum accessions with good tolerance to early-spring cold, suitable for double cutting, and good tolerance to late-fall frost, respectively. The identified superior accessions will be tested in different locations. Accessions confirmed for cold/frost tolerance and double cutting can be potentially used as parents for developing new cultivars or hybrids in breeding programs.

Technical Abstract: Multiple yearly harvests can increase crop productivity but the crop may encounter different environmental challenges (such as early-spring cold or late-fall frost) depending on cultivation zones. Sweet sorghum as a feedstock may be planted early to get a double harvest or be rotated with sugarcane in the same year for bioenergy production in certain Southeast regions of the U.S. For double harvests of sweet sorghum or rotation of sweet sorghum with sugarcane within the same year, we screened sweet sorghum accessions within the USDA germplasm collection for early-spring cold tolerance, double cutting, and late-fall frost tolerance. We identified a few sweet sorghum accessions with good tolerance to early-spring cold, suitable for double cutting, and good tolerance to late-fall frost, respectively. The identified superior accessions will be tested in different locations. Accessions confirmed for cold/frost tolerance and double cutting can be potentially used as parents for developing new cultivars or hybrids in breeding programs.