ARS | Publication request: Comparison of corn stover cell wall polysaccharide degradability by rumen microbes and a cellulosic ethanol conversion process

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 4, 2010
Publication Date: November 17, 2010
Citation: Jung, H.G., Bernardo, R. 2010. Comparison of corn stover cell wall polysaccharide degradability by rumen microbes and a cellulosic ethanol conversion process [abstract]. In: 2010 Minnesota Forage Research Symposium, November 17-18, 2010, St. Cloud, Minnesota. p. 34.

Technical Abstract: Release of fermentable cell wall sugars in the cellulosic ethanol conversion process is assumed similar to rumen degradability; however, available literature has only reported surrogate rumen degradation measures (dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, and fermentation gases). We determined 72-h in vitro rumen degradability of cell wall polysaccharide sugars and their release by a dilute acid/high temperature pretreatment and cellulose conversion process for 153 corn stover samples. Limited correlations between the conversion process and rumen degradability of corn stover suggest that in vitro rumen degradation is not a good model for feedstock performance in a cellulosic ethanol process.