Energycane:First Year

Brian Baldwin, Herbaceous Feedstocks Meeting

San Antonio, Texas22 February 2010

Energycane- Hybrid of sugarcane and wild cane- Bred for high fiber, high biomass- Tolerance to cold weather- Fermentable sugars

Concept

• Energycane – Cellulose for bioethanol/biomass

• High yields and perennial• Limitations of sugarcane’s abilities in the “North”• Sugarcane infrastructure in place

– Advantage of sucrose• Can be fermented if harvestable• Sugary bagasse is subject to enhanced fermentation as a

precursor to cellulose SSF• Capture-able with slow pyrolysis

Common Energycane Germplasm

Germplasm Line* Pedigree

Ho 02-147 F1 (Wild Cane x Sugarcane)

Ho 02-144 F1 (Wild Cane x Sugarcane)

Ho 72-114 BC1 with Sugarcane

Ho 06-9001 BC1 with Wild Cane

Ho 06-9002 BC1 with Wild Cane

*from USDA-ARS-SRU, Houma, LA

Base Field Dimensions

• Plot = 10 m x 3 rows (6m)– Sacrifice row (Brix)– Harvest 2 rows

• Base Rep = 10m x 30m• Base Test = 132m x 30m– (or any combination)• inclusion of other

genotypes

Spring

• Emergence data – date and rating (shoots/plot)

• Date of 50% emergence and soil temp

• Data during growing season– Height, bi-weekly– Brix monthly from sacrifice row

July

• Stalk counts and diameter

Fall 2009• Harvest Data EOS– Each location needs to fix

that time• Stalk count and diameter• Final height• Rating after first hard frost

(differences?)• Final Brix – want a 50 ml sap

sample, freeze• Fresh harvest weight

– Sap yield– Stalk moist weight– Stalk dry weight– Stalk samples for fiber analysis

Starkville MS; Nov 2007

Fall/Winter

• Harvest (other two rows)• Moisture • Southern locations• Harvest and weigh

Planting prep Sept. 2007

Planting of seed cane

Plant establishment November 2007

February 2008

Starkville, MS; Oct 2007

First Year Field

Starkville November 2007

Starkville -November 2007

Starkville - February 2008

DoE Feedstock Partnership Collaborators

• Bill Anderson via Wayne Hanna (USDA via UGA, Tifton, GA)• Brian Baldwin (MSU, Starkville, MS)• Jürg Blumenthal (TAMU, College Station, TX)• Charlie Brummer (UGA, Athens, GA) – 2008 addition• Kenneth Gravois (LSU, St. Gabriel, LA)• Jimmy Ray Parish (MSU, Raymond MS)• Ed Richard /Tom Tew/Anna Hale (ARS-SRU, Houma, LA)• Goro Uehara, (U Hawaii, Waimanalo) – 2009 addition• Ted Wilson, et al. (TAMU, Beaumont, TX)

Starkville Athens

TiftonSt. Gabriel

Beaumont

RaymondCollege Station

HonaluluHouma

Starkville

Tifton

Beaumont

RaymondCollege Station

Honalulu

St. Gabriel

Athens

Houma

Issues/Major Factors

Location Issue/Major Factor Status

Waimanalo, HI LegislationHeat treatment of seed cane

Overturned, 2009Slow growth

Beaumont, TX Hurricane Rita spawned tornadoes Seed cane unavailable, 1 year behind

College Station, TX

Drought Lower yield, but on track

Starkville, MS Excessive rain Live with it

Obstacles to Data Collection• El Niño– Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, and still rain– Starkville ended 2009 @ 84.5” (54” normal)– Same at: Tifton, Athens, St. Gabriel

• The weight of biomass – Energycane harvested at 60-70% moisture– A dry weight of 3 T/A is actually 4.2 T/A– Most sites harvest by hand

Energycane BrixStarkville, October 2008 and 2009

02468

101214161820

US 02-144

US 02-147

US 06-9001

US 06-9002

US 72-114

Della Bale All SS Average

Brix

%

Energycane Sweet Sorghum Sugarcane

1-Jul 15-Jul 1-Aug 15-Aug 1-Sep 15-Sep 1-Oct 15-Oct 1-Nov 15-Nov0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2009 Heights x Temperature

Ho (US) 02-147 (LA) Ho (US) 06-9001 (LA)Ho (US) 02-147 (MS) Ho (US) 06-9001 (MS)

Mea

n H

eigh

ts (m

)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Monthly M

ean Temperature ( oC)

St. Gabriel, LA (oC) Starkville, MS (oC)

First Year Energycane DM Yield by Location

Energycane Genotype

Athens, GA

Starkville, MS

Raymond, MS

Tifton, GA

College Station, TX

St. Gabriel, LA

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Yield (Mg/ha)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ho 02-144 5.60 c 7.79 ab 17.86 a 24.38 d 10.22 a 14.06 c

Ho 02-147 6.31 c 4.85 b 22.08 a 30.24 bc 11.37 a 17.65 ab

Ho 06-9001 9.72 ab 10.12 a 14.25 a 24.88 d 15.00 a 16.99 abc

Ho 06-9002 8.27 bc 7.43 ab 17.18 a 28.24cd 14.10 a 14.43 bc

Ho 72-114 11.53 a 6.94 ab 14.10 a 38.27 a 17.22 a 19.80 a

Ho 00-961 19.49 a 12.64 a

L79-1002 33.19 b

LSD α0.05 2.92 4.53 8.30 4.69 8.61 3.45

Ho (US) 02-144 Ho (US) 02-147 Ho (US) 06-9001 Ho (US) 06-9002 Ho (US) 72-114 Ho 00-961 L 79 10020

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

First Year Dry Matter Yield Energycane 2009-2010

Athens, GA Starkville, MS Raymond, MSTifton, GA College Station, TX St. Gabriel, LA

Mea

n M

g/ha

First Year Dry Matter Yield Energycane 2009-2010

Starkville, MSnorthern site

St. Gabriel , LAsouthern site

Tifton, GAsouthern site

Genotype Yield (Mg/ha)

Ho 06-9001 10.12 a 16.99 abc 24.88 d

Ho 02-144 7.79 ab 14.06 c 24.38 d

Ho 06-9002 7.43 ab 14.43 bc 28.24 cd

Ho 72-114 6.94 ab 19.80 a 38.27 a

Ho 02-147 4.85 b 17.65 ab 30.24 bc

Summary Findings

• Brix affected by rain• Brix affected by genotype

• Spring onset of growth different– Early onset in genotypes closer to sugarcane can

lead to higher yields at the southern locations– Early onset of genotypes closer to wild cane are

not good for maximum growth in the “North” (spring frost)

Summary Findings, cont’d

• Yield varies by genotype• Location matters, with Tifton, GA toping

locations– Well-drained soils, with excellent rainfall

• Ho 72-114 seems best adapted to all locations tested.

US 72-114 (Starkville MS)

US 72-114 (Chacahoula, LA )

Energycane Drawbacks• Energycane – Of tropical origin

• Not photoperiodically senescing– Wet harvest– Removal of nutrients

• Limitations of sugarcane’s abilities in the “North”

– Advantage of sucrose• Limited accumulation, especially with excess rain• Sugar and fiber are inversely proportional

– Associative nitrogen fixation

Trans-species Comparison(Starkville 2008)

Ho 00-961

Ho 96-988

L 99-233

US 01-07

US 02-144

US 02-147

US 06-9001

US 06-9002

US 72-114

Swtg

'Alamo'

Mxg

'Freedom'

Della SO

R

Topper SOR

M81-E SO

R0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Tonn

age

(Mg/

ha)

2009 Second Year Energycane FieldTifton, GA