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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Plant Stress and Germplasm Development Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #333297
Title: Evaluation of the multi-seeded (msd) mutant of sorghum for ethanol production

Author
item ZHANG, KE - Kansas State University
item ZHENG, GUOXIANG - Kansas State University
item SAUL, KAELIN - Kansas State University
item Xin, Zhanguo
item Jiao, Yinping
item WANG, DONGHAI - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/11/2016
Publication Date: 3/1/2017
Citation: Zhang, K., Zheng, G., Saul, K., Xin, Z., Jiao, Y., Wang, D. 2017. Evaluation of the multi-seeded (msd) mutant of sorghum for ethanol production. Industrial Crops and Products. 97:345-353.

Interpretive Summary: We have isolated a series of multi-seeded (msd) mutants that has the potential to triple the seed numbers and double the seed weight per panicle. The smaller seed sizes of msd mutants is a main concern for appealing to customers. To address this concern, we analyzed 23 msd mutants and one wild type sorghum BTx623 for ethanol production and effect of chemical composition, pasting properties and grain structure on ethanol yield and fermentation efficiency. Starch contents of the msd mutant sorghums ranged from 66.31 to 75.65%, while the starch content of BTx623 is 74.25%. The protein, fat and free amino nitrogen (Schliecker et al.) contents of the msd mutant sorghums ranged from 9.44 to 13.33%, 0.81 to 2.03% and 87.32 to 92.54mg/L, respectively. The ethanol fermentation efficiency of msd mutant sorghums ranged from 87.29 to 92.54%. Taking account to msd mutant can produce more than twice the amount of seed weight per panicle as wild type BTx623, the msd mutant M2, the highest ethanol yield sample, could produce more than twice the amount of ethanol than wild type BTx623. All sorghum samples can be classified into three groups according to fermentation rate: fast, medium and slow. For msd mutant sorghums with starch content higher than 71%, fermentation efficiencies were higher than 90%, and ethanol yields were higher than 470 L/ton sorghum. In addition, the fermentation curves showed most of msd mutant sorghums took less time to complete fermentation (40 to 50 hours), indicating msd mutant sorghums have a great potential for biofuel application due to their high starch content, high fermentation efficiency, and final ethanol yield. The result indicates that the smaller seeds produced by msd mutants may be an advantage for ethanol production.

Technical Abstract: Grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], a cost effective crop in semiarid regions, is an underestimated supplement to corn in starch based ethanol production. Twenty three multi-seeded (msd) mutant sorghums and one wild type sorghum BTx623 were evaluated for ethanol production and effect of chemical composition, pasting properties and grain structure on ethanol yield and fermentation efficiency. Starch contents of the msd mutant sorghums ranged from 66.31 to 75.65%, while the starch content of BTx623 is 74.25%. The protein, fat and free amino nitrogen (Schliecker et al.) contents of the msd mutant sorghums ranged from 9.44 to 13.33%, 0.81 to 2.03% and 87.32 to 92.54mg/L, respectively. The ethanol fermentation efficiency of msd mutant sorghums ranged from 87.29 to 92.54%. Taking account to msd mutant can produce more than twice the amount of seed weight per panicle as wild type BTx623, msd mutant m2, the highest ethanol yield sample, could produce more than twice the amount of ethanol than wild type BTx623. All sorghum samples can be classified into three groups according to fermentation rate: fast, medium and slow. For msd mutant sorghums with starch content higher than 71%, fermentation efficiencies were higher than 90%, and ethanol yields were higher than 470 L/ton sorghum. In addition, the fermentation curves showed most of msd mutant sorghums took less time to complete fermentation (40 to 50 hours), indicating msd mutant sorghums have a great potential for biofuel application due to their high starch content, high fermentation efficiency, and final ethanol yield.