| Abstract Detail
Bio-Energy Crops Smart, Lawrence B. [1], Cameron, Kimberly D. [2], Serapiglia, Michelle J. [2], Volk, Timothy A. [3], Abrahamson, Lawrence P. [2]. Breeding and selection of new, high-yielding varieties of shrub willow (Salix spp.) for bioenergy, biofuels, and bioproducts. Fast-growing shrub willow is ideally suited as a dedicated energy crop for the Midwest and Northeast U.S. and regions of Canada, but improvements in yield will enhance the economics of the system and lead to greater commercial deployment. SUNY-ESF has established and maintains the largest willow breeding program in North America, which includes a genetically diverse collection of >700 varieties. We have completed more than 575 controlled crosses since 1998, incorporating over 20 species and species hybrids and producing in excess of 4000 new varieties. From among >2000 individuals produced by breeding in 1999, 82 were selected based on stem area and height after two seasons of growth. These were propagated and planted in a selection trial with four current production varieties in 2002, which was harvested after two growing seasons in February 2005 and again in January 2007. A comparison of first- and second-rotation yield results will be presented. Based on first-rotation harvest data, the yield of a number of varieties exceeded that of the current production variety, ‘SV1’. The highest mean yield in these small plots was 40% higher than that of ‘SV1’, which typically yields 4-5 dry tons ac-1 yr-1. A number of these high-yielding varieties were scaled-up and planted in two regional yield trials established in 2005 and a third in 2006 using production-style spacing. First-year post-coppice growth measurements from these trials will be presented with a discussion of the relative improvements of varieties from the breeding program over current production varieties.
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Related Links:
SUNY-ESF Willow Biomass Program
1 - SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Environmental and Forest Biology, 246 Illick Hall, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
2 - SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Environmental and Forest Biology
3 - SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Forest & Natural Resources Management
Keywords:
ethanol
biorefinery
energy crop
biomass/energy
genetics.
Presentation Type: ASPB Minisymposium
Session: M19
Location: Continental A/Hilton
Date: Tuesday, July 10th, 2007
Time: 3:20 PM
Number: M19001
Abstract ID:685 |
