# Presentation: 495740

## Breeding Switchgrass for Increased Biomass Production

**Charles M. Taliaferro**
**Roger Fuentes**
**Plant & Soil Sciences Department**
**Oklahoma State University**

## Objectives

**Establish a switchgrass breeding program to effect sequential long-term improvement in biomass yield performance.**
**Develop high yielding cultivars for varied climatic and edaphic conditions in the south central USA.**
**Refine breeding procedures to increase effectiveness/efficiency.**
**Expand the knowledge base on switchgrass breeding characteristics and genetic improvement potential. **
**Collect and characterize germplasm to facilitate future progress.**

## Available evidence indicates ample heritable genetic variation for positive response to selection for biomass yield.

## Narrow-sense Heritability Estimates for Biomass Yield in Three Switchgrass Populations. 

**	****Population****	****Individual plant****	****Half-sib progeny****	****	****	****	****	****basis****	****	****mean basis****	****	****	**

**	****SU 95****	****42****	****34**
**	****NU 95****	****85****	****55**
**	****SL 93****	****15****	****21**

**------------------- %  --------------------**

## Breeding Strategies

**1992-96**
**Restricted recurrent phenotypic selection in four populations**
**Developed narrow genetic base synthetic varieties with elite plants from breeding populations**
**1997-present**
**Phenotypic-genotypic selection**
**Development of synthetic varieties including 2-clone “hybrid” varieties**

## Performance of RRPS Cyclic Populations for Biomass Yield

**Population****	****% of C****0****	****Population****	****% of C****0**

**SL C****1****	****	****130****	****SU C****3****	****116**
**SL C****2****	****	****112****	****SU C****2****	****106**
**SL C****0****	****	****100****	****SU C****1****	****112**
**	****	****	****SU C****0****	****100**
**NL C****1****	****	****101****	****NU C****3****	****119**
**NL C****2****	****	****96****	****NU C****2****	****100**
**NL C****0****	****	****100****	****NU C****1****	****105**
**	****	****	****NU C****0****	****100**

## Biomass Yields of Lowland Switchgrass Experimental Synthetics and Standard Cultivars

**------------------------------ Mg ha****-1**** ------------------------------ **

**Cultivar**
**Alamo**
**SL****	****93-1**
**	****93-2**
**	****93-3**
**	****94-1**
**Kanlow**
**NL****	****93-1**
**	****93-2**
**	****94-1**
**     ****LSD**

**97-1  Chickasha, OK****	****1997-00**
**97-3  Booneville, AR****	****1998-99**
**97-4  Manhattan, KS****	****1998-00**

**97-1**
**	****14.3**
**	****15.1**
**	****13.3**
**	****14.6**
**	****15.4**
**	**
**	****14.3**
**	****14.6**
**	****12.9**
**	****15.5**
**	****1.7**

**97-3**
**	****12.9**
**	****14.2****	**
**	****12.6****	**
**	****13.4****	**
**	****13.4**
**	**
**	****12.4**
**	****13.8**
**	****11.5**
**	****13.4**
**	****2.1**

**97-4**
**	****7.9**
**	****6.6**
**	****7.8**
**	****7.7**
**	****6.7**
**	****6.8****	**
**	****6.3**
**	****6.8**
**	****7.7**
**	**
**	****0.9**

**Test**

**98-1**
**	****13.9**
**	****14.3**
**	****13.6**
**	****17.5**
**	****14.5**
**	****12.7**
**	****12.6****	**
**	****11.9**
**	****13.7**
**	**
**	****1.6**

**   ****TX(5-loc)**
**	****14.4**
**	****16.5**
**	****15.8**
**	****-**
**	****14.8**
**	****-**
**	****11.0**
**	****-**
**	****-**
**	****-**

**98-1  Orange, VA****	****1999-00**
**99-1  Coffeeville, MS****	****2001**

**99-1**
**	****14.9****	****	****19.9**
** ****13.3**
**	****14.6**
**	****15.3**
**	****11.8**
**	****15.4****	**
**	****14.3**
**	****14.5**
**	**
**	****   ****1.5**

##  Upland Switchgrass Experimental Synthetics12 Test Environments 

**Entry****	****Rel. Yld.**

**Entry****	****Rel. Yld.**

**Caddo****	****100**
**SU 92-1****	****112**
**SU 94-1****	****119**

**Blackwell****	****100**
**NU 92-1****	****121**
**NU 94-1****	****117**
**NU 94-2****	****119**

## Associated Breeding Research

**Testing effects of yield environment on selection response**
**Practice GRS on clonal populations grown under high and low yield conditions**
**Rationale:  determine if yield environment influences selection and ultimately performance of cultivars grown under variable yield conditions**
**Tentative results:  minimal influence of environment on plant selection.**

## Associated Breeding Research

**Determining inbreeding effects and potential benefits of inbreeding.**
**Rationale:  Selection under inbreeding may enhance breeding gains via elimination of deleterious genes and fixation of desirable genes in homozygous condition.**
**Progress:  1****st**** inbreeding selection cycle completed.  S****1**** plants have variable fertility and morphology.**

## Associated Breeding Research

**Associated Breeding Research**

**Determining heterotic response and potential for “hybrid” cultivars.**

## Associated Breeding Research

**Collecting and characterizing germplasm.**
**Rationale:  Breeding and genetics research will be facilitated by a germplasm collection characterized for major descriptors.**
** ****Progress:**
**110 accessions evaluated for descriptors.**
**Ten groups identified based on cluster analyses.  **
**Isolated intermating blocks established in 2001. **

## Associated Breeding Research

**Better define cytogenetic/reproductive characteristics.**
**Clarify chromosome numbers and ploidy levels.**
**Lowlands 4x.**
**Uplands mainly 8x, a few 4x and 6x.**
**Elucidate polyploid type and mode of inheritance.**
**Evidence indicates a diplodized autoploid.**
**Establish hybridization potential between cytotypes and ecotypes.**
**Plants of same ploidy hybridize relatively easily regardless of ecotype.**
**Plants of different ploidy strongly isolated.**

## Summary Conclusions on Breeding

**Ample genetic variation for biomass yield.**
**Breeding within the major climatic regions required.**
**Recurrent breeding procedures can effect incremental gains.**
**New cultivars with enhanced performance can be developed.**

## Summary Conclusions on Breeding

**“****Hybrid” cultivars may provide the largest yield gains in the near term.**
**1****st**** generation seed from clonally propagated parent plants.**
**Three-way crosses or double crosses?**

## Summary Conclusions on Breeding

**Major limitation:**
**Reduced efficiency/effectiveness of screen for superior genotypes imposed by time and resource constraints.**
**A selection cycle takes 4 years minimum for our GRS procedure when field progeny testing is limited to one post-establishment year.**
**Land & labor resources available for field testing are finite. **

## Future Needs/Goals to Facilitate Breeding Progress

**More definitive information on selection response**
**Measure response to GRS**
**Include cyclic RRPS populations**
**Better/faster methods of identifying plants with highest breeding value**
**Marker assisted selection**

## Advancing to Commercialization

**Advancing to Commercialization**

## BIOMASS ENERGY CONVERSION CENTER

**Oklahoma State University**
** ****University of Oklahoma**
** **

## Biomass Energy Conversion Center

**Develop the technology for converting**
**low-cost biomass to ethanol**

**Feedstock Development**
**Biomass Gasification and Syngas Conditioning**
**Microbial Catalyst Development**
**Syngas Fermentation**

## Nine Scientists

**Feedstock development**
**R. Huhnke, C. Taliaferro**
**Gasification/syngas conditioning**
**D. Bellmer, T. Bowser**
**Microbial catalyst development**
**R. Tanner**
**Syngas fermentation**
**R. Lewis, A. Johannes**
**Economic analysis**
**F. Epplin**
**Environmental assessment**
**B. Barfield**

## FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT

## Gasification Process

## Fermentation

**Fermentation**

## Sources of Initial Support

**Okla. Ag. Expt. Stn.**
**V.P. for OSU Research**
**Food and Agr. Products Research Center**
**College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology**
**Williams Bio-Energy**
**Western Region Biomass Energy Program**

## Current Support

**Okla. Agric. Exp. Stn.**
**Office V.P. Research**
**Williams Bio-Energy**
**USDA (CSREES)**
**IFAFS**
**Federal Initiative with Mississippi State Univ.**

## Goal is to develop a pilot plant ASAP and move the process to commercialization.