Biomass composition of two new energy cane cultivars compared with their ancestral Saccharum spontaneum during internode development

Authors: FANELLI, AMANDA - Universidad De Sao Paulo; Reinhardt, Laurie; MATSUOKA, SIZUO - Vignis; FERRAZ, ANDRE - Universidad De Sao Paulo; FRANCA SILVA, TATIANE - Universidad De Sao Paulo; Hatfield, Ronald; ROMANEL, ELLISSON - Universidad De Sao Paulo

Submitted to: Biomass and Bioenergy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2020
Publication Date: 10/20/2020
Citation: Fanelli, A., Reinhardt, L.A., Matsuoka, S., Ferraz, A., Franca Silva, T.D., Hatfield, R.D., Romanel, E. 2020. Biomass composition of two new energy cane cultivars compared with their ancestral Saccharum spontaneum during internode development. Biomass and Bioenergy. 141. Article 105696. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2020.105696.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2020.105696

Interpretive Summary: Traditionally sugarcane has been bred for cultivars with high sucrose content. However, with the increasing demand for renewable energy sources, there has been a shift in desired traits for sugarcane that can be utilized as an energy crop. Energy cane is a cultivar developed with high fiber, higher biomass productivity and resilience, increasing its potential to produce biofuels such as ethanol. This work analyzed biomass content and chemical composition of two energy cane clones throughout their growth. This study found that the type of lignin changed and lignin content increased along the stem as the energy canes grew. Traditional cane, however, showed similar composition throughout development, suggesting that it completes vegetative growth faster than the energy cane. This study can be useful as a model to follow chemical cell wall composition during vegetative cell development and therefore guide sugarcane breeding programs for developing improved cultivars that not only produce biofuels, but other useful commercial materials.

Technical Abstract: Traditional sugarcane breeding sought for high sucrose content. However, with the increasing demand for renewable energy sources, there has been a shift in desired traits for sugarcane as an energy crop. Energy cane is a cultivar developed from Saccharum ssp. with high fiber, higher biomass productivity and resilience, having great potential as feedstock in biorefineries. This work analyzed biomass content and chemical composition of two energy cane clones (VG1126 and VIGNIS 3) and one of its progenitors, S. spotaneum (VG spo), throughout distinct stages of internode development. VG1126 had a fiber and sucrose content closer to the ancestral, showing 24% more fiber than VIGNIS 3, being more suitable for industrial lignocellulose applications. Both energy canes showed an increase in lignin content, S/G ratio and pCA along internode development. Ancestral cane, however, showed similar composition across culm development, suggesting that it completes vegetative growth faster than the energy cane. Although the three crops have different fiber amount, sucrose content and morphology, their overall biomass composition (lignin, cell wall sugars, and hydroxycinnamates) was similar. These results represent a useful model to follow chemical cell wall composition during vegetative cell development and are expected to help breeding cane cultivars programs to use in biorefineries.