Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
establishment costs, probably to around $700/ha [
17
]. Finding ways to improve
germination of seeds and tillage methods to support small seed sprouting and early
growth or seed germination in a nursery environment and subsequent field
transplanting may reduce start-up cost and ensure availability of adequate quanti-
ties of planting material. Tissue-cultured plants if economically produced and
transplanted may provide another option.
Two approaches for
M.
giganteus
in vitro propagation - direct and indirect -
have been optimized and can be used as effective alternatives to asexual propaga-
tion from rhizomes. The direct multiplication using stem segments containing
axillary buds combined with in vitro tillering phase turns out to be 50-60 times
more effective than the conventional ex vitro rhizome-based approach [
117
].
Market Challenges/Barriers to Commercialization/
Opportunities
In vitro propagation systems can accelerate the cultivation of
M.
giganteus.
Most
breeding programs on
Miscanthus
are still at the initial phases. The perennial habit
and complexity of the genome are limiting factors in elucidating the genetic basis of
Miscanthus
agronomical traits and quality traits. But the recent advances in
“-omics” technologies may accelerate the progress of whole genome sequencing,
genetic marker development, and elucidation of physiological process
in
Miscanthus
.
References
1. Tyner WE. The US, ethanol and biofuels boom: its origins, current status, and future
prospects. Bioscience. 2008;58:646-53.
2. Pimentel D, Patzek TW. Ethanol production using corn, switchgrass, and wood; biodiesel
production using soybean and sunflower. Nat Resour Res. 2005;14:65-76.
3. Lewandowski I, Kicherer A, Vonier P. CO
2
-balance for the cultivation and combustion of
Miscanthus
. Biomass Bioenergy. 1995;8:81-90.
4. Lewandowski I, Kicherer A. Combustion quality of biomass: practical relevance and exper-
iments to modify the biomass quality of
Miscanthus giganteus
. Eur J Agron. 1997;6:163-
77.
5. Clifton-Brown JC, Stampfl PF, Jones MB.
Miscanthus
biomass production for energy in
Europe and its potential contribution to decreasing fossil fuel carbon emission. Glob Chang
Biol. 2004;10:509-18.
6. Fargione J, Hill J, Tilman D, Polasky S, Hawthorne P. Land clearing and the biofuel carbon
debt. Science. 2008;319:1235-8.
7. Timothy S, Ralph H, Houghton RA, Fengxia D, Amani E, Jacinto F, Simla T, et al. Use of US
croplands for biofuels increases greenhouse gases through emissions from land-use change.
Science. 2008;319:1238-40.
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