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Collaborative project: Identification and characterization of maize varieties, whose biomass is more amenable to degradation, providing a renewable resource for the chemical industry - subproject B (Cornwall)
Project
Project code: 031B0193B
Contract period: 01.11.2016
- 31.10.2019
Budget: 40,368 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Keywords: plant breeding, corn, lignocellulose, energy efficiency
Abundant crop residues left over from growing crops are a sustainable resource to replace fossil fuels that release greenhouse gases. The dominant portion of these agricultural residues consist of so-called lignocellulose, a complex plant composite material, whose sugars can be used for microbial fermentation to generate commodity chemicals. The biggest challenge for the conversion of lignocelluloses into chemicals is their recalcitrance to degradation. Therefore, plant breeding with improved, readily degradable lignocelluloses has a great potential to reduce processing costs and energy consumption, and therefore replacing fossil fuels. In this project, maize mutants are screened and characterized for altered lignocellulosic properties. The resulting patentable knowledge can easily be transferred to other crop grasses such as wheat and barley to continue to receive informed, targeted breeding objectives with higher yields of plant residues.
Section overview
Subjects
- Plant Breeding
- Resource management
