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This experiment explored the effects of different proportions of sweet sorghum silage as a substitute for corn silage on dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, milk quality, apparent digestibility, rumen fermentation parameters, serum amino acid profile, and rumen microbial composition of dairy cows. A total of 32 mid‐lactation Holstein dairy cows with similar body weights and parities were randomly divided into four treatments: 100% corn silage +0% sorghum silage (CON), 75% corn silage +25% sorghum silage (CS1), 50% corn silage +50% sorghum silage (CS2), and 25% corn silage +75% sorghum silage (CS3). The milk yield was increased (linear, p =.048) as the proportion of sweet sorghum increased. Linear (p =.003) and quadratic (p =.046) increased effects were observed in milk fat as corn silage was replaced with sorghum silage. Compared with the CON diet group, the CS2 and CS3 diet groups had lower dry matter (DM) (linear, p <.001), ether extract (EE) (linear, p <.001), and gross energy (GE) (linear, p =.001) digestibility of the dairy cows. The ruminal fluid aspartate (Asp) level decreased (linear, p =.003) as the proportion of sweet sorghum increased. Linear (p <.05) and quadratic (p <.05) increased effects were observed for the contents of threonine (Thr), glycine (Gly), valine (Val), leucine (Leu), tyrosine (Tyr), and histidine (His) in rumen fluid with the replacement of corn silage with sorghum silage. Cows fed the CS3 diet had greater Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, and Prevotella ruminicola content/copy number than those fed the CON diet (p <.05). In conclusion, feeding sorghum silage as a replacement for corn silage could increase the milk yield and fat, promote the growth of rumen microbes, and provide more rumen fluid amino acids for the body and microbial utilization. We believe that sorghum silage is feasible for dairy cows, and it is reasonable to replace corn silage with 75% sorghum silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for robust microbial cell factories that produce valuable biomaterials while resisting stresses imposed by current bioprocesses is rapidly growing. Rhodosporidium toruloides is an emerging host that presents desirable features for bioproduction, since it can grow in a wide range of substrates and tolerate a variety of toxic compounds. To explore R. toruloides suitability for application as a cell factory in biorefineries, we sought to understand the transcriptional responses of this yeast when growing under experimental settings that simulated those used in biofuels-related industries. Thus, we performed RNA sequencing of the oleaginous, carotenogenic yeast in different contexts. The first ones were stress-related: two conditions of high temperature (37 and 42°C) and two ethanol concentrations (2 and 4%), while the other used the inexpensive and abundant sugarcane juice as substrate. Differential expression and functional analysis were implemented using transcriptomic data to select differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways from each set-up. A reproducible bioinformatics workflow was developed for mining new regulatory elements. We then predicted, for the first time in this yeast, binding motifs for several transcription factors, including HAC1, ARG80, RPN4, ADR1, and DAL81. Most putative transcription factors uncovered here were involved in stress responses and found in the yeast genome. Our method for motif discovery provides a new realm of possibilities in studying gene regulatory networks, not only for the emerging host R. toruloides, but for other organisms of biotechnological importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the influence of sewage sludge (SS) on the biometric parameters, absorption of mineral elements and thermal characteristics of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) grown on Technosol. Two types of sewage sludge were used: unmodified and modified with DAMET flocculant. Each type of sludge was applied in three doses (expressed as dry matter basis, DM): 20 t DM/ha, 40 t DM/ha and 60 t DM/ha, respectively. The yield of fresh biomass depended on the dose of sewage sludge: it increased by 14.5–41% and reached 104.6 t/ha after application of the sewage sludge with flocculant at a maximum rate of 60 t/ha. Sorghum biomass actively absorbs nutrients from the soil. Nitrogen was absorbed more actively; depending on the type and dose of sewage sludge application, its content in biomass increased from 12–40% (dose of 20 t/ha) to 80–112% (dose of 60 t/ha). By content in sorghum biomass, essential elements can be arranged in descending order as follows: Fe → Mn → Zn → Cu. Sorghum shows a low ability to accumulate some heavy metals in aboveground biomass. Despite the fact that large doses of sewage sludge contributed to an increase in the content of nickel, cadmium and lead in the substrate by 1.8–5.6 times, the ratio of the content of these elements in plants to the content in the substrate remained low. Sewage sludge affects the process of thermal degradation of sorghum biomass. The decomposition of the main components occurs at lower temperatures, and, as a rule, at higher rates. Sewage sludge (especially with flocculant) contributes to a more complete combustion of biomass. The results showed that sewage sludge with flocculant at a dose of 40 t/ha is the most optimal fertilizer option for growing sweet sorghum on such Technosols as loess-like loam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of studying the growth and yield characteristics of hybrids of domestic and American selection during cultivation under the conditions of the northern Ukrainian Steppe are presented. Fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizer and vermicomposting extract by fertigation helped to strengthen vertical growth, and increase the yield of green biomass and sweet sorghum grains. The greatest effect was obtained for American hybrids. For Ukrainian hybrids, the application of nitrogen fertilizers had a positive effect on black soil and loess-like loam, while the effect of vermicomposting extract was noticed only on loess-like loam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet have been considered as potential energy crops. They have many advantages in terms of ethanol production compared to corn and sugarcane, such as lower requirements for water and fertilizers, higher tolerance to drought, and lower competition with the food sector. Sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet stems are rich in water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) (sucrose, fructose, and glucose), and their biomass has to be crushed for juice extraction. However, the extraction efficiency of WSC varied widely depending on the press type used and the parameters considered during the pressing process (stripping stems from leaves or not, compressive force magnitude, smooth or grooved press rollers, number of times of biomass pressing, etc.). WSCs are easily degradable, causing technical challenges related to crop handling before pressing and juice storage thereafter. Some studies focused on stem preserving methods, whereas others dealt with extending the shelf life of the juice. To make the use of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet as energy crops more profitable, the bagasse (residue) generated from biomass pressing can be valorized in different ways, mainly as silage or for second generation ethanol production. The objective of this review was to assess the efficiency of different presses used for juice extraction and discuss various methods tested for WSC conservation from deterioration as well as possible bagasse valorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimum fermentation conditions for ethanol production from sweet sorghum juice (SSJ) by the thermotolerant yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae DBKKUY-53 were determined using a statistical experimental design. Based on the Plackett–Burman design (PBD), yeast cell concentration, sugar concentration, and yeast extract were the significant independent fermentation factors affecting the ethanol production from SSJ at 37 °C by S. cerevisiae DBKKUY-53. These significant factors were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) based on a central composite design (CCD). The result revealed that the optimum conditions for ethanol fermentation were 7.85 × 107 cells/mL yeast cell concentration, 247 g/L sugar concentration, and 9.99 g/L yeast extract. Verification of the ethanol production using the optimum conditions revealed that the maximum ethanol concentration of 99.75 g/L and the productivity of 2.77 g/L/h were achieved. When the ethanol production was carried out in a 2 L fermentor under optimum conditions, the ethanol concentration was 101.81 g/L and the productivity was 2.83 g/L/h. This finding suggested that the thermotolerant yeast S. cerevisiae DBKKUY-53 has excellent potential for commercial ethanol production at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to investigate the differences between maize hybrids for their agronomic yield and their agro-energy potential. The study was conducted in Palotina and Assis Chateaubriand, Paraná, Brazil. The treatments were composed of 10 maize hybrids (DKB290 [non-GMO], DKB315, DKB340, DKB290, Formula, Defender, Status, 2B810, 30F53, BG7330), which were evaluated for grain moisture and yield, starch content, total soluble solids content, ethanol content in the juice and ethanol yield. The important factors for the result are related to grain yield and the quality of the harvested grains, and agronomic performance of these hybrids may differ according to each crop year. Hybrid 30F53 stood out positively for all variables. Hybrid DKB315 showed the highest ethanol yield and high grain yield, and insignificant grain quality was not enough to result in a decline in ethanol yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization significantly restricts crop yield, animal foraging, and biomass production for biofuels. Identifying an efficient farming system to mitigate these concerns has become a major research focus. The present study addresses the potential of rotating triticale and sweet sorghum at various planting densities to alleviate soil salt stress, enhance production, improve agronomic characteristics, and boost soil microbial communities in a saline agricultural environment in East China. Several indicators in 2017 and 2018. Results show that triticale and sweet sorghum planting significantly decreased soil salt contents compared to bare land plots. Multiple agronomic traits were measured for each planting density. For triticale, a density of 180 × 104 plants ha−1 showed the best plant height, tiller number per plant, yield, and lodging rate; for sweet sorghum, a density of 7 × 104 plants/ha showed the best plant height, yield, and lodging rate. High-density planting of triticale (180, 260, 320 × 104 plants/ha) and sweet sorghum (7, 8, 9 × 104 plants/ha) was associated with high counts of bacteria, Actinomycetes, and salt-tolerant Actinomycetes. However, planting density had no significant effect on the counts of fungi or salt-tolerant bacteria. Redundancy Discriminant Analysis (RDA) showed that plant height, yield, lodging rate, bacteria, salt-tolerant bacteria, Actinomycetes, and salt-tolerant Actinomycetes were negatively correlated with soil salinity, while tiller number per plant and stem thickness were positively correlated with soil salinity. In conclusion, a rotation system of triticale and sweet sorghum with planting densities of 180 × 104 and 7 × 104 plants/ha, respectively was established to improve and make full use of saline soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to eliminate ethyl carbamate (EC) content in apple distillate, Fuji apple juice was acidified to pH 3.0 by sulfuric acid (ST), malic acid (MT), lactic acid (LT), or citric acid (CT). The acidified juice was inoculated with yeast, fermented at room temperature, and distilled by double distillation. Acid treatment by ST (3.23 μg/L), MT (3.20 μg/L), LT (2.93 μg/L), and CT (3.57 μg/L) significantly eliminated EC from apple distillate. Combined with the EC content and sensory evaluation, it was suggested that the high-quality apple distillate could be obtained with lower EC if apple juice was treated with ST or MT before fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate possible use of juice-extracted sweet sorghum stalks (bagasse) as a quality roughage source through silage making. A total of 21 different sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor var. saccharatum (L.) Mohlenbr.) genotypes supplied from different sources were used as the primary material of the study. Field experiments were conducted in a randomized blocks design with 4 replications on the experimental fields of Eastern Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute under 2nd crop conditions during the growing seasons of 2016 and 2017 years. Plants were harvested for bioethanol production at milk-dough stage of panicle grains. Plant leaves and panicles were stripped and remaining stalks were extracted through squeezing. Juice-extracted stalks (bagasse) were ensilaged for 60 days and quality traits were analyzed at the end of silage period. As the average of two years, bagasse yields varied between 42.6-113.9 t ha-1, silage DM yields varied between 11.6-40.0 t ha-1. In addition, crude protein (CP) content, acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) values varied between 29.79 - 50.84 g/kg DM, between 49.3 - 91.4 g/kg DM, between 525.1-694.8 g/kg DM and between 351.2-486.8 g/kg DM, respectively. It was concluded based on present findings that silages made from juice-extracted stalks of sweet sorghum grown under 2nd crop conditions of Cukurova region could be used as quality roughage source for livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leaf blight caused by Exserohilum turcicum (E. turcicum) is commonly or generally found on sorghum grown in the sub-tropics and tropical lowlands during summer. The pathogen is easily wind disseminated and apparently most consistent in their occurrence and severity across the diverse sorghum growing environments. The sweet sorghum variety SSV 74 was released by University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad for kharif season mainly for fodder purpose. This variety is also good for ethanol production and jaggery making. However, for the last several years this variety was showing its susceptibility to the leaf blight caused by E. turcicum and causes heavy losses both in fodder and its quality. Even though there are reports of the presence of leaf blight caused by E. turcicum on the grain sorghum, no precise information is available on the presence of the leaf blight on sweet sorghum in India as well as in the world and no information is available about the magnitude of losses caused by this disease. Hence, the experiment was conducted to assess the losses caused by the E. turcicum. Methods: An experiment on loss assessment in sweet sorghum due to leaf blight caused by E. turcicum was carried out at Main Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, during kharif 2017 using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications and seven treatments. Six treatments were imposed with hexaconazole at 0.1% besides a treatment with unsprayed control. Result: Lowest per cent disease index (PDI) (24.76%) as well as area under disease progressive curve (789.61) was observed in treatment involving six sprays of hexaconazole at 0.1% followed by five sprays, (PDI: 27.51%, AUDPC: 815.32) and four sprays T4 (PDI: 32.57%, AUDPC: 908.80). Highest fodder yield (46.47 t/ha), brix value (12.47%), crude fibre content (28.22%), leaf ash content (23.08%) and crude protein content (5.29%) was observed in treatment with six sprays of hexaconazole at 0.1%. With respect to the per cent increase over control, 17.47-37.20 per cent increase in fodder yield, 7.4-21.17 per cent in brix value, 11.64-9.66 per cent in crude fibre content, 12.74-62.91 per cent in leaf ash content and 4.36-13.00 per cent in crude protein content was observed at one spray to six sprays with hexaconazole at 0.1 per cent, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work consisted on the evaluation of several alternative methods for the elimination of one type of warehouse pest in grains (Sitophilus spp). Six treatments and a control were evaluated with three replicas each one, the grain object of study was sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench), UDG-110 cultivar. The studied variants were: 6 treatments (3 treatments with different methane dose and 3 treatments with different zeolite dose) and a control, with 3 replicas each one. All the treatments were executed inside test tubes of 50 mL. Methane application was by means of lethal injection with the doses specified in the respective treatments. The tests were carried out in the laboratories of agricultural microbiology, belonging to the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Central University "Marta Abreu" of Las Villas. The objective of the investigation was to evaluate the effect of annihilation of these alternative treatments in the pest studied (Sitophilus spp) and its effect in the grains object of valuation (sorghum). The best result was obtained with treatment 6, with which 91.66% of elimination of the investigated pest was reached. The worst behavior was obtained with treatment 3 (0%). Different analysis of the soil utilized to see the possible effects of these treatments in the morphological properties of the grain and in the physical chemical properties of the soil were carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by toxic industrial waste has become a major issue in many countries. Of particular concern is the reuse of toxic hazardous waste in construction materials. This paper examined for the first time the chemical and radiation ecotoxicity of site-specific Technological Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM) residues from phosphate processing industry in soil environmental matrices through bioindicators. The area under investigation was the former industrial district of Crotone (Calabria, Italy), recently included within the Sites of National Interest (SIN), comprising the 42 Italian national priority contaminated sites. Major biological exposure pathways considered were absorption and bioaccumulation. The marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna were employed as aquatic bioindicators, while for the soil ecosystem, the seeds of Sorghum saccharatum and Lepidium sativum were used. Selection of test species aimed at assessing the toxicity of wastes in soil as well as in freshwater or marine systems. Results indicated V. fischeri as the most sensitive of all the species tested (5.56 g/L), while D. magna was found to be affected at 94.27 g/L. An overall inhibition was observed in seedling growth as compared to control at the highest concentration of the pollutants (100 g/L), while seed germination was not adversely affected by the pollutant. At this preliminary level, data indicated a potential risk for biodiversity of the area. In fact, the measured toxicity thresholds, even if above 100 mg/L, are comparable to concentrations of the toxicants spread all over the territory of Crotone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in semiarid regions commonly face problems because of salt and availability of irrigation water. Considering this, studies on cultures resistant to salt and water stresses involving sweet sorghum are required. Therefore, the aim was to evaluate the growth and other mechanisms of tolerance to salinity and water deficit in BRS 506 sweet sorghum. The experimental design was conducted in Upanema-RN, Brazil, in randomized blocks, where the isolated and interactive effect of 3 salinity levels, expressed as the electrical conductivity of irrigation water (1.5, 3.8, and 6.0 dS m−1), and 3 irrigation depths (55, 83, and 110% of crop evapotranspiration) were evaluated. During the cycle, sorghum adapted to the salinity and deficit irrigation depth, since stem height reduced only −5.5% with increasing salinity and −11.95% with decreasing irrigation depth, and aerial dry mass was affected by interaction only at the end of the cycle. Proline, total amino acids, and total soluble sugars were not differenced by stresses. Additionally, around 68.71% of total Na+ was at roots at the end of the cycle. In summary, sorghum BRS 506 was more tolerant to salt than water stress and used Na+ compartmentalization in root cells as the main tolerance mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: In coastal saline lands, organic matter is scarce and saline stress is high. Exploring the promotion effect of intervention with organic acid from biological materials on soil improvement and thus forage output and determining the related mechanism are beneficial to the potential cultivation and resourceful, high-value utilization of coastal mudflats as back-up arable land. Method: Three exogenous organic acids [humic acid (H), fulvic acid (F), and citric acid (C)] were combined with four kinds of biomass materials [cottonseed hull (CH), cow manure (CM), grass charcoal (GC), and pine needle (PN)] and applied to about 0.3% of medium-salt mudflat soil. The salinity and nutrient dynamics of the soil and the growth and physiological differences of sweet sorghum at the seedling, elongation, and heading stages were observed under different treatments to screen for efficient combinations and analyze the intrinsic causes and influencing mechanisms. Results: The soil salinity, nutrient dynamics, and forage grass biological yield during sweet sorghum cultivation in saline soils differed significantly (p < 0.05) depending on the type of organic acid-biomass composite applied. Citric acid-pine needle composite substantially reduced the soil salinity and increased the soil nutrient content at the seedling stage and improved the root vigor and photosynthesis of sweet sorghum by increasing its stress tolerance, allowing plant morphological restructuring for a high biological yield. The improvement effect of fulvic acid-pine needle or fulvic acid-cow manure composite was manifested at the elongation and heading stages. Discussion: Citric acid-pine needle composite promoted the growth of saline sweet sorghum seedlings, and the effect of fulvic acid-pine needle composite lasted until the middle and late stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the potential of duckweed as a human food, ethanol feedstock, and anticancer drug. First, the nutritional value of wild duckweed was reported for the first time. Its main composition was similar to that of artificially cultivated duckweed, and thus, wild duckweed can serve as a great human food source. In addition, high-starch duckweed induced by nutrient starvation was fermented into bioethanol. A yield of 0.262 g/g, the highest duckweed-ethanol yield reported thus far, was achieved, indicating that duckweed is an excellent feedstock for ethanol production. Finally, the anticancer effects of duckweed flavonoids (DFs) were assessed for the first time using acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cells as models in vitro and in vivo. The results revealed that DFs possessed antileukaemia activity and were safe and effective for AML therapy. In conclusion, duckweed was demonstrated to be helpful for humans for food security, energy crisis remediation, and tumour treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) is the resultant waste after extraction of sugar-rich juice from the stalks during bioethanol production. As a typical biomass, the SSB consists of moisture, unspent soluble sugar, and abundant lignocellulosic component (cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin). The undisposed SSB can inevitably cause the environmental pollution and resource waste. Hence, the effective storage of SSB is necessary for the year-round stable operation of biofuel plants. Among them, ensiling (wet storage) can be an efficient technology available for the SSB preservation and utilization, which enable the SSB to be processed all year around. Moreover, ensiling can also act as a pretreatment strategy, due to the benefits for the cell wall degradation and the improvement of biomass bioconversion for subsequent processing. In this study, the potential of ensiling pretreatment was investigated to fortify with Lactobacillus plantarum inoculant and cellulolytic enzymes on the improvement of ensiling quality to modulate the performance of enzymatic saccharification of SSB. The SSB were ensiled with no additives (CK), Lactobacillus plantarum (L), cellulolytic enzyme (E), and a combination of L and E (LE) for 21 days. The dynamic changes of nutrient composition, lignocellulosic components, and ensiling fermentation characteristics were investigated, and then dynamic evolution of the bacterial community structure was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing at HiSeq2500 platform. Ensiling quality was comprehensively evaluated by membership function method, in order to screen the suitable silages additives in consideration of enzymatic hydrolysis performance. The results showed that the addition of Lactobacillus plantarum inoculant and cellulolytic enzymes either alone or in combination was facilitated the lactic acid fermentation to reduce the fermentation losses, as evidenced by the higher content of crude protein, starch, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, hemicellulose and cellulose components than that of un-ensiled SSB. The content of dry matter, crude protein and water-soluble carbohydrates in silages with additives were higher than those in the CK, but the content of holocellulose lower. Furthermore, the content of dry matter in the E silages, the content of crude protein in the L silages, and the content of water-soluble carbohydrates in the LE silages were the highest in all silages, respectively. The pH value of all silages significantly decreased to below 4.2, accompanied by the ratio of lactic Acid (LA) and total organic acids (TOA) higher than 0.65 and the ratio of lactic acid (LA) and acetic acid (AA) higher than 2 during the whole ensiling for 21 days. The content of LA and AA in the L silages were significantly higher than those of silages at the CK (P<0.05), the ratio of LA/TOA and LA/AA in the E silages were significantly higher than those of silages at the CK(P<0.05). The membership function analysis indicated that the silages at the E group shared the highest comprehensive scores at 21 days. The bacterial community structure showed that the Proteobacteria was the main bacteria in all silages during ensiling fermentation. At 21 days of ensilage, Enterobacteriaceae, pantoea and leuconostoc were the main species in the silages at genus level. ACE, Chao1 and Shannon index in the E, L and LE silages were significantly lower than those of CK group (P<0.05). It infers that the ensiling pretreatment with the additives was effectively reduced the microbial richness and diversity. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCA) was constructed using the relative abundance of bacteria at the genus level, indicating the outstanding separation in the SSB before and after ensiling pretreatment. After ensiling pretreatment, the yield of reducing sugar in all SSB silages significantly increased, compared with the un-ensiled SSB. Consequently, the reducing sugar yield in the E silages increased by 117%. The highest net income of E silages fortified with cellulolytic enzyme was almost three-fold that of un-ensiled SSB using cost-benefit analysis. In conclusion, the ensiling pretreatment fortified by cellulolytic enzymes can be expected to serve as a cost-effective, eco-friendly and tech-feasible strategy for the preservation and pretreatment of SSB biomass. Especially, cellulolytic enzyme can be used to modulate the ensiling pretreatment performance. Therefore, the ensiling quality and the biodegradation performance of SSB silage can be effectively improved for the bioenergy utilization of sweet sorghum bagasse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Sweet sorghum is an important forage crop for ruminants, especially in low rainfall areas. Grapeseeds are an abundant by-product of wine-making and contain bioactive substances that can improve the antioxidant capacity of meat. We examined the effect of sweet sorghum forage with supplementary grapeseeds on carcass and meat quality in lambs. Methods: Twenty-eight Small-tailed Han lambs (body weight = 19.1±1.20 kg), aged 3 to 4 months, were penned, and fed individually. The lambs were divided into four groups (n = 7 each) and were offered one of four diets: i) sweet sorghum silage; ii) sweet sorghum silage + grapeseeds; iii) sweet sorghum hay; and iv) sweet sorghum hay + grapeseeds. The grapeseeds were added to the concentrate at 6% DM and the diets were fed for 100 d. Results: Sweet sorghum silage tended (p = 0.068) to increase hot carcass weight, while grapeseeds tended (p = 0.081) to decrease dressing percentage without affecting other carcass parameters. Lambs consuming supplementary grapeseeds increased (p<0.05) meat redness and tended to decrease (p = 0.075) concentration of methionine in meat. Lambs consuming sweet sorghum silage increased (p<0.001) water content of the meat and had a lower (p<0.05) concentration of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio than lambs consuming sweet sorghum hay. Saturated fatty acids content in meat was lowest (p<0.05) in lambs consuming sweet sorghum silage with grapeseeds. Lambs with supplementary grapeseeds tended (p<0.10) to increase eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and have a lower thrombogenic index than lambs not consuming grapeseeds. Conclusion: It was concluded that sweet sorghum with supplementary grapeseeds fed to lambs; i) improved the color of the meat to be more appetizing to the consumer; ii) tended to improve the fatty acids composition of the meat; and iii) lowered thrombogenic index of the meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trans-aconitic acid (TAA) is naturally present in sweet sorghum juice and syrup, and it has been promoted as a potential biocontrol agent for nematodes. Therefore, we developed a process for the extraction of aconitic acid from sweet sorghum syrup. The process economics were evaluated, and the extract was tested for its capability to suppress the motility of the nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans and Meloidogyne incognita. Aconitic acid could be efficiently extracted from sweet sorghum syrup using acetone:butanol:ethanol mixtures, and it could be recovered from this solvent with a sodium carbonate solution, with an overall extraction and recovery efficiency of 86%. The estimated production cost was USD 16.64/kg of extract and this was highly dependent on the solvent cost, as the solvent was not recycled but was resold for recovery at a fraction of the cost. The extract was effective in reducing the motility of the parasitic M. incognita and causing over 78% mortality of the nematode when 2 mg/mL of TAA extract was added. However, this positive result could not conclusively be linked solely to TAA. An unidentified component (or components) in the acetone:butanol:ethanol sweet sorghum extract appears to be an effective nematode inhibitor, and it may merit further investigation. The impact of aconitic acid on C. elegans appeared to be entirely controlled by pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the population grows, there is a need to address the continuous depletion of non-renewable energy sources and their negative effects on the environment. This led to a substantial assessment of possible innovations and raw materials to increase the volumetric productivity of alternative fuels to supply the energy needed worldwide. In addition to its environment-friendly properties, a biofuel derived from plant-based sources is also a sustainable material. For high ethanol production from plant-based biofuel, several techniques have been developed, including cell or enzyme immobilization. The key purposes of utilizing immobilized cells or enzymes are to improve bioreactor yield with upgraded enzyme establishment and to increase enzyme utilization. The fermentation of sweet sorghum extract to produce ethanol was conducted in this study, and it was found that the optimum sodium alginate concentration for immobilizing yeast is 3% w/v. It was also found that the free yeast has a shorter optimum fermentation period which is four days (96 h), in comparison with the immobilized yeast, which is five days (120 h). The immobilized yeast has a higher ethanol concentration produced and percent conversion compared to the free yeast. The immobilized yeast entrapped in calcium alginate beads permitted ten five-day (120 h) reuse cycles which are still in stable final ethanol concentration and percent conversion. Due to a lack of experimental support in the necessary condition (optimum level of the number of fermentation days and the concentration of sodium alginate) for the optimal ethanol yield from the extract of sweet sorghum, this study was conducted. This study also tried to address the global demand for ethanol by specifying the optimum conditions necessary for efficient fermentation, specifically for ethanol production using an extract from sweet sorghum. Furthermore, this experimental work serves as a basis for further investigations concerning ethanol production from Agri-based materials, such as sweet sorghum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root-knot (Meloidogyne species) nematode population densities on various crops, including sweet sorghum, were consistently decreased by three triterpenoid phytonematicides that are currently available as Nemarioc-AL, Nemafric-BL and Mordica. These compounds have chemically different active ingredients. The interaction between triterpenoid phytonematicides and the accumulation of nutrients in plant leaf tissues has not yet been studied, with the exception of Nemarioc-AL and Nemafric-BL. The objective of this study was to investigate the interactive effects of triterpenoid phytonematicides on accumulation of nutrient elements in leaf tissues of sweet sorghum under microplot conditions in Limpopo Province, South Africa during 2020 and 2021. Nemarioc-AL, Nemafric-BL and Mordica were laid in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment, respectively. The test treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design, with eight replications, conducted on artificial microplots containing steam pasteurized soil. At 150 days after inoculation, the second order interaction (Nemarioc-AL × Nemafric-BL × Mordica) significantly (P=0.05) increased accumulation of Ca, K and Mg in leaf tissues of sweet sorghum, but without affecting P, Fe, Na and Zn. Relative to untreated control, second order interaction increased Ca, K and Mg by 206, 164 and 289%, respectively. In accordance with the density-dependent growth principles of entities exposed to allelochemicals, soil-drenched administration of triterpenoid phytonematicides dramatically modified the accumulation of nutritional components in leaf tissues of sweet sorghum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By creating highly productive phytobiomes, selection of new types of biostimulants on the basis of organic substances and microorganism has a decisive role. It could be done by taking into account natural and climatic peculiarities of the region. The article described the importance of sugar sorghum and substantiates the introduction of an adaptive variety to increase the productivity of fodder sorghum and the best option of using growth biostimulants. The results of evaluating the effectiveness of growth biostimulants under laboratory conditions on the main nutritional valuable traits were presented. The treatment of optimal parameters of sugar sorghum seeds with biostimulants in the Research laboratory “Industrial biotechnology” of M. Auezov South Kazakhstan University was determined. It was shown that the “Azotofertil” biostimulator has a high efficiency in pre-sowing seed treatment. For comparative evaluation of potentialities of new biostimulant, MERS biostimulant adapted to climatic conditions was chosen. According to research results, both biostimulants showed high efficiency for seed pre-sowing treatment. The best concentration for treatment of planting material was established. Energy of germination, swelling and the number of germination of seeds of sugar sorghum variety Kazakhstan-16 were determined. In evaluating the activity of biostimulants for efficiency, the dynamics of their friendly germination was traced. At 4% concentration and temperature above 14 °C, the advantage of “Azotofertil” biostimulator based on Azotobacter chroococcum strain was proven. Seeds of sugar sorghum variety Kazakhstan-16 showed the best results with 96 ± 3% germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using energy plants to repair salinized soils polluted by petroleum is an efficient way to solve the problem of farmland reduction and prevent pollutants from entering the food chain simultaneously. In this study, pot experiments were conducted for the purposes of preliminarily discussing the potential of using an energy plant, sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), to repair petroleum-polluted salinized soils and obtain associated varieties with excellent remediation performance. The emergence rate, plant height and biomass of different varieties were measured to explore the performance of plants under petroleum pollution, and the removal of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil with candidate varieties was also studied. The results showed that the emergence rate of 24 of the 28 varieties were not reduced by the addition of 1.0 × 104 mg/kg petroleum in soils with a salinity of 0.31%. After a 40-day treatment in salinized soil with petroleum additions of 1.0 × 104 mg/kg, 4 potential well-performed varieties including Zhong Ketian No. 438, Ke Tian No. 24, Ke Tian No. 21 (KT21) and Ke Tian No. 6 with a plant height of >40 cm and dry weight of >4 g were screened. Obvious removal of petroleum hydrocarbons in the salinized soils planted with the four varieties were observed. Compared with the treatment without plants, the residual petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations in soils planted with KT21 decreased by 69.3%, 46.3%, 56.5%, 50.9% and 41.4%, for the additions of 0, 0.5 × 104, 1.0 × 104, 1.5 × 104 and 2.0 × 104 mg/kg, respectively. In general, KT21 had the best performance and application potential to remediate petroleum-polluted salinized soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined the influence of cattle manure compost, chemical fertilizers, and mulch on the growth of weeds, sugar content, and growth of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). The inhibitory potential of root exudates from two sweet sorghum cultivars (A; K1151 and B; K3351) was also evaluated. Chemical fertilizers increased the plant height, stem weight, biomass production, and sugar content of sweet sorghum. The total phenolic contents in the root exudates were 22.93 mg gallic acid equivalent per g dry weight (GAE/g DW) for cultivar A and 15.66 mg GAE/g DW for cultivar B. The total flavonoid contents in the root exudates were 14.77 mg rutin equivalent per g dry weight (RE/g DW) for cultivar A and 12.44 mg RE/g DW for cultivar B. The leaf extracts contained a higher amount of total phenolics and flavonoids than that of the stem and root. The inhibitory level of the root exudates from cultivar A on the seed germination and shoot growth of lettuce was greater than for cultivar B. Six phenolic acids, including protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, syringic, sinapic, p-coumaric, and benzoic acids, were detected from root exudates, root, stem, and leaf of both cultivars. The amount of p-coumaric acid in root exudates was greater than the other plant parts; however, protocatechuic acid was only found in the root exudates. p-Coumaric and protocatechuic acids may play an important role in the allelopathy of sweet sorghum to help reduce the dependence on synthetic herbicides in agricultural practice. This study indicates that cultivation methods and fertilization are important to increase both agronomic and economic values of sweet sorghum in agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass microbiota and chemical constituent are closely associated with final anaerobic fermentation performance. But the limiting factors affecting anaerobic fermentation quality and bacterial community have been rarely explored. This study aimed to elucidate the relative contribution of initial microbiota and chemical constituent of sweet sorghum on its final anaerobic fermentation quality. Sweet sorghum at two developmental stages (heading-stage, G1; hard-dough-stage, G2) was treated as follows: G1 microbiota + sterilized G1 (M1C1), G2 microbiota + sterilized G1 (M2C1), G1 microbiota + sterilized G2 (M1C2), and G2 microbiota + sterilized G2 (M2C2). The results showed that chemical constituent rather than microbiota changes remarkably influenced the production of lactic acid, propionic acid and ammonia-N, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Weissella, Lactococcus, Pediococcus, and Pantoea of sweet sorghum after anaerobic fermentation. The chemical constituent was the key limiting factor affecting the anaerobic fermentation quality of sweet sorghum. This study could provide a reference for clarifying the key limiting factors affecting anaerobic fermentation and making recommendations for production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to screen the varieties of forage sweet sorghum suitable for cultivation in Alar. Five kinds of forage sweet sorghum were used as experimental materials in experiment, analyzed their agronomic traits, nutritional value, energy value estimation and other indicators, the membership function method was used for comprehensive evaluation. The results showed that the plant height, stem diameter, stem node number and fresh grass yield of Grand Prix were significantly higher than those of other sweet sorghum varieties (P<0.05). The leaf number and length of Liou were significantly lower than those of other varieties (P<0.05), and the leaf width was significantly lower than that of Daphne, Chieftain and Cauli (P<0.05); The sugar brix of Cauli and Liou varieties was significantly higher than that of Grand Prix, Dakar and Chieftain (P<0.05). The crude ash and crude protein content of Cauli were significantly higher than those of other varieties (P<0.05). The content of neutral detergent fiber of Daka and acid detergent fiber of Liou were significantly higher than that of other varieties (P<0.05). The crude fat content of Chieftain was significantly higher than that of Daka and Liou (P<0.05). The relative feeding value of coarse fodder of Grand Prix, Chieftain and Cauli was significantly higher than that of other varieties (P<0.05), and the relative quality of coarse fodder of Grand Prix and Cauli was significantly higher than that of Daka and Liou (P<0.05). The total energy of Chieftain and Liou were significantly higher than other varieties (P<0.05). The digestive energy and metabolic energy of Daka were significantly lower than those of other varieties (P<0.05). The ranking of comprehensive evaluation values of different varieties was Grand Prix>Cauli>Chieftain> Liou>Daka. The study indicates that the various indicators of Grand Prix, Cauli and Liou are outstanding, and the comprehensive score is high, so it is recommended to plant in Alar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Salt stress is one of the major causes of reduced crop production, limiting agricultural development globally. Plants have evolved with complex systems to maintain the balance between growth and stress responses, where signaling pathways such as hormone signaling play key roles. Recent studies revealed that hormones are modulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). Previously, two sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) inbred lines with different salt tolerance were identified: the salt‐tolerant M‐81E and the salt‐sensitive Roma. The levels of endogenous hormones in M‐81E and Roma varied differently under salt stress, showing a different balance between growth and stress responses. miRNA and degradome sequencing showed that the expression of many upstream transcription factors regulating signal transduction and hormone‐responsive genes was directly induced by differentially expressed miRNAs, whose levels were very different between the two sweet sorghum lines. Furthermore, the effects of representative miRNAs on salt tolerance in sorghum were verified through a transformation system mediated by Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Also, miR‐6225‐5p reduced the level of Ca2+ in the miR‐6225‐5p‐overexpressing line by inhibiting the expression of the Ca2+ uptake gene SbGLR3.1 in the root epidermis and affected salt tolerance in sorghum. This study provides evidence for miRNA‐mediated growth and stress responses in sweet sorghum. Significance Statement: The interactions between plant hormones, miRNAs, and key transcription factors form a complex response network that balances the growth and stress responses in sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was to investigate the effect of sweet sorghum on fermentation quality, nutrient composition and microbial population of hybrid Broussonetia papyrifera during ensilage. Hybrid Broussonetia papyrifera and sweet sorghum were used as raw materials, which were divided into four groups: Hybrid Broussonetia papyrifera group (100%BP group), hybrid Broussonetia papyrifera ∶ sweet sorghum = 90∶10 group (90%BP group), hybrid Broussonetia papyrifera ∶ sweet sorghum = 80∶20 group (80%BP group), hybrid Broussonetia papyrifera ∶ sweet sorghum = 70∶30 group (70%BP group), with 20 replicates in each group. The indexes were analyzed on 7, 15, 30, 45 d. The results showed that pH value of silage in 90%BP group, 80%BP group and 70%BP group was significantly lower than that in 100%BP group (P<0.05), and the ratio of ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen in 80%BP group was significantly lower than that in 70%BP group on the 30th day of silage (P<0.05). The content of DM, WSC, CP, NDF and ADF in silage were significantly affected by sweet sorghum supplemental level (P<0.05). The Lactobacillus quantity of silage in 90%BP group, 80%BP group and 70%BP group was significantly lower than that in 100%BP group on 7th, 30th and 45 d of silage (P<0.05). After 7th day of silage, no yeast, mold and Escherichia coli were detected in all groups. The experiment indicates that sweet sorghum accounted for 20% for 30 d is optimal for hybrid Broussonetia papyrifera silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcrystalline celluloses were isolated from four agricultural residues, including sweet sorghum stalk, Jerusalem artichoke stalk, grains stillage, and Chinese herb residue, and characterized in terms of physicochemical and structural properties. The obtained microcrystalline celluloses were composited with polylactic acid as a packing film for the preservation of Lanzhou lily. All the agricultural residues-derived microcrystalline celluloses were in cellulose I β structure with high purity and good thermal stability. Microcrystalline celluloses from sweet sorghum stalk had a higher degree of polymerization (327) and crystallinity (70.52 %) than others. The preservation effect of lily bulbs packaged by films were significantly improved indicated by the lessened weight loss rate and the meliorative hardness and whiteness, which ascribe to the repressed oxidation reactions. Polylactic acid/microcrystalline cellulose composite films prepared from sweet sorghum straw have been proved the most effective. This work could offer a value-added outlet for agricultural residues to produce microcrystalline celluloses-based biocompatible films for preservation of Lanzhou lily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ethanol fermentation efficiency of sweet sorghum stem juice (SSJ) under a very high gravity (VHG) condition (250 g/L of sugar) was improved by immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae SSJKKU01, using a stirred tank bioreactor (STR) coupled with a column bioreactor (CR). Dried rattan pieces (as carriers for cell immobilization) at 50% of the working volume of the CR were suitable for use in a batch ethanol fermentation. The average ethanol concentration (PE) and ethanol productivity (QP) of repeated-batch fermentation in the CR for eight successive cycles were 109.85 g/L and 1.88 g/L⋅h, respectively. Then an STR coupled with a CR was applied for repeated-batch ethanol fermentation in two systems. System I was an STR (1.8 L working volume), and System II was an STR (1 L) coupled with a CR, referred to as a CR-F (0.8 L). Both systems were connected to a new CR, called CR-I, containing sterile dried rattan pieces at 50% of its working volume. Active yeast cells were inoculated only into the STR, and the medium circulation rate between bioreactors was 5.2 mL/min. The results showed that at least eight successive cycles could be operated with an average PE of 108.51 g/L for System I and 109.44 g/L for System II. The average QP and SC values of both systems were also similar, with values of 1.87 to 1.88 g/L⋅h and 93 to 94%, respectively. The morphology of the carriers with and without immobilized cells before and after the fermentation was investigated. The obtained results demonstrated that a repeated-batch fermentation by immobilized cells on rattan pieces, using an STR coupled with a CR, was successfully used to produce high levels of ethanol from SSJ under a VHG condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the environmental profile of bioethanol production from sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) in the province of Tucumán (Argentina). Methods: The study is carried out using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The evaluated system includes the cultivation of sorghum, its transportation to the sugar mill, and the production of anhydrous ethanol. For the inventory, data recorded in field/industry activities is preferably used, supplemented by specialized publications and the Ecoinvent v3 database. The ReCiPe 2016 impact evaluation model is used to obtain the environmental profile. Results and discussion: The results show that the environmental contribution of the sorghum agricultural phase dominates all impact categories, mainly due to the use of some agrochemicals and fossil fuels. The normalization of these results highlights freshwater ecotoxicity as the most relevant category. The sensitivity analysis reveals that this category depends almost linearly on the leaching-runoff factors of the pesticides, among which chlorpyrifos prevails. Conclusions: This study unveils the hotspots in sorghum bioethanol production, which will be used to improve the agronomic management of the crop and processing. The incorporation of sorghum as a feedstock in the existing cane-based sugar-alcohol industry allows for a significant reduction of the global warming potential, opening opportunities for future research on the subject. Therefore, the cultivation/processing of sweet sorghum is a promising alternative to reduce the environmental impact of ethanol from other sugarcane-producing regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open burning of agricultural residues causes numerous complications including particulate matter pollution in the air, soil degradation, global warming and many more. Since they possess bio-conversion potential, agro-industrial residues including sugarcane bagasse (SCB), rice straw (RS), corncob (CC) and sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) were chosen for the study. Yeast strains, Candida tropicalis, C. shehatae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus were compared for their production potential of bioethanol and phenylacetylcarbinol (PAC), an intermediate in the manufacture of crucial pharmaceuticals, namely, ephedrine, and pseudoephedrine. Among the substrates and yeasts evaluated, RS cultivated with C. tropicalis produced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher ethanol concentration at 15.3 g L−1 after 24 h cultivation. The product per substrate yield (Yeth/s) was 0.38 g g-1 with the volumetric productivity (Qp) of 0.64 g L−1 h−1 and fermentation efficiency of 73.6% based on a theoretical yield of 0.51 g ethanol/g glucose. C. tropicalis grown in RS medium produced 0.303 U mL−1 pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC), a key enzyme that catalyzes the production of PAC, with a specific activity of 0.400 U mg−1 protein after 24 h cultivation. This present study also compared the whole cells biomass of C. tropicalis with its partially purified PDC preparation for PAC biotransformation. The whole cells C. tropicalis PDC at 1.29 U mL−1 produced an overall concentration of 62.3 mM PAC, which was 68.4% higher when compared to partially purified enzyme preparation. The results suggest that the valorization of lignocellulosic residues into bioethanol and PAC will not only aid in mitigating the environmental challenge posed by their surroundings but also has the potential to improve the bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to study the effect of different silages instead of wheat straw on growth performance, nutrient apparent digestibility and serum biochemical indices of Dongxiang sheep. A total of 30 Dongxiang sheep were randomly divided into three groups, with ten replicates in each group and one sheep in each replicate. The sheep in group A (control group) were fed with wheat straw+test preparation concentrate, the sheep in group B were fed with 50% wheat straw + 50% corn silage+test preparation concentrate, the sheep in group C were fed with 50% wheat straw + 50% sweet sorghum silage+test preparation concentrate. The trial period was 82 d. The results showed that the final weight and average daily gain of Dongxiang sheep in group A and group C were significantly higher than those in group B (P<0.05). The average daily concentrate intake of Dongxiang sheep in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (P<0.05). The total feeding cost and the feeding cost per kilogram gain in group B were significantly higher than those in group C (P<0.05). The digestibility of crude protein and crude fat in group B was extremely higher than that in group A (P<0.01), and the digestibility of crude protein and crude fat in group C was significantly higher than that in group A (P<0.05). The digestibility of acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber in group B was significantly higher than that in group C (P<0.05). At the beginning of the experiment, the ratio of intermediate cells in group C was significantly lower than that in other groups (P<0.05), the hemoglobin content in group A was significantly lower than that in other groups (P<0.05), and the total number of platelets in group B was significantly lower than that in other groups (P<0.05). The content of serum glucose in group B was extremely higher than that in other groups (P<0.01). At the end of experiment, the lymphocyte ratio of each group increased as a whole, the total number of red blood cells increased to the reference range, and the total number of white blood cells, intermediate cell ratio, and granulocyte ratio decreased as a whole and were all within the reference range. The activity of serum alanine transaminase in group C was extremely lower than that in group B (P<0.01), and the activity of aspartate aminotransferase was extremely lower than that in other groups (P<0.01). The study indicates that the total feeding cost of group fed with silage sweet sorghum is lower, the average daily gain of sheep is the highest, and the activity of serum alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase are reduced, which can improve the body resistance of mutton sheep. The digestibility of nutrient apparent digestibility in the silage corn group is higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Techniques based on electrical resistance and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy were used to determine the moisture content (MC) of logging residues and sweet sorghum. The MC of biomass is a factor to be controlled that can affect the quality of final products. To accurately measure the moisture in fragmented materials, it is essential to increase the bulk density of the materials by compression. The low bulk density increased the error from the oven-drying MC and the variation between repeated measurements. The calculated correction factor made it possible to use a commercial wood moisture meter for biomass materials. Ordinary least squares regression models built with the electrical resistance data achieved coefficients of determination (R²) of 0.933 and 0.833 with root mean square errors (RMSE) of 0.505 and 0.891, respectively, for the MC predictions of logging residue and sweet sorghum. Partial least squares regression models combined with NIR spectroscopy achieved R² of 0.942 and 0.958 with RMSE of 1.318 and 3.681 for logging residue and sweet sorghum, respectively. In contrast to the electrical resistance-based models, the NIR-based models could predict the MC regardless of the bulk density of the materials. Data transformation by the second derivative and removal of outliers contributed to the improvement of the prediction of the NIR-based models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the effect of biochar enriched with IHPLUS® BF bioproduct, on soil physicochemical and morphophysiological indicators of mulberry (Morus alba) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). Materials and methods. Substrates based on soil mixed with: mulberry biochar, marabou (Dicrostachys cinerea) or sugarcane bagasse (Sacharum officinarum), soaked in water or in IHPLUS® BF versus soil without biochar as negative control, were eva luated; in addition to its effect on the mulberry and sorghum nursery. The experimental design was totally randomized. Results. pH, electrical conductivity, redox potential and soluble solids content in the biochars varied when they were enriched with IHPLUS® BF; there was a higher incidence in bagasse (6.09; 363.67 µS/m; 341.90 mV; 0.37 °brix, respectively). In the bagasse biochar substrate with IHPLUS® BF, storage and moisture retention improved (= 0.7g/g; 0.5g = X = 0.6 g/g, respectively), followed by water-embedded mulberry biochar (= 0.6 g/g, storage). In the sorghum crop there were significant effects of bagasse biochar with IHPLUS® BF and mulberry soaked in water. There was a high correlation between aerial biomass and chlorophyll (0.84), NBI in leaves (0.83) and substrate pH (-0.84). In the mulberry crop, bagasse biochar with water and mulberry biochar with IHPLUS® BF were better. The height of the plants was more correlated with the aerial biomass (0.86), the flavonols (0.85), the anthocyanin in the leaves (-0.82) and the pH of the substrate (-0.80). Conclusions. The use of sugarcane bagasse biochar enriched with IHPLUS®BF and mulberry biochar improved the pH, redox potential, electrical conductivity, storage and retention of water in the soil; as well as the morphophysiological response of sorghum and mulberry grown in nurseries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green maize and sweet sorghum are important non-legumes crops, mainly to smallholder farmers. These crops can be inoculated with plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) that could contribute to increasing the crop yield. This study assessed, in a 2-year experiment under field conditions, the inoculation of selected PGPB to green maize and sweet sorghum. The experiments consisted of seven treatments, being six PGPB (IPACC07, IPACC10, IPACC26, IPACC29, IPACC38, IPACC55) and one non-inoculated treatment as control. These treatments were associated with or without supplementary N fertilization (50% of N required by plants). An additional treatment with total N fertilization required by plants was included. Higher production of biomass in green maize and sweet sorghum was found by inoculation with IPACC38 and IPACC55. Inoculation with IPACC29, associated with supplementary N fertilization, promoted a higher production of total and marketable cobs. The values of Brix and sugars were higher with the inoculation with IPACC10 and IPACC38. This study showed a couple of PGPB to be indicated to each crop species (IPACC55 and IPACC29 to green maize; IPACC10 and IPACC38 to sweet sorghum), which suggest the use of double inoculation with these PGPB to each crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum and its bagasse of sweet sorghum plant which is left after extracting of its juice is used for various purposes such as first generation bioethanol, animal feed, fertilizer, biofuel and cellulosic bioethanol production and it has gained significance because of its broad use areas day by day. In this study, it was aimed to determine the theoretical cellulosic bioethanol potential of the remaining stalks (bagasse) of different sweet sorghum genotypes after extraction of its juice. For this reason, 21 different sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor var. saccharatum (L.) Mohlenbr.) genotypes obtained from different domestic and foreign sources were used as material. Field trials were carried out under second crop conditions in Cukurova (Adana) region in 2016 and 2017. The plants were harvested on dates that coincided with the milk-dough period of the grains in the cluster. After the leaves and inflorescences of the harvested plants were removed, the stalks were extracted and the juice was taken. Theoretical cellulosic bioethanol yields were calculated on the basis of dry matter (DM) in L ton-1 and L da-1 by performing cellulose and hemicellulose analyzes after the stalks (bagasse) was dried. As a result of the study, according to the two-year averages; it was determined that the cellulose content and hemicellulose content of sweet sorghum genotypes and theoretical cellulosic bioethanol yield ranged from 33.21% to 45.13%, from 20.63 to 25.36%, from 183.7 to 231.0 L ton-1 dry matter (DM) and from 297.4 to 767.6 L da-1 (DM), respectively. In the research, it is seen that the remaining bagasse after the removal of juice can be used for cellulosic bioethanol production and Grass1, Tracy, UNL-Hyb-3 and No91 genotypes are prominent genotypes having the capacity to produce cellulosic bioethanol over 600 L da-1 per unit area. It is concluded that if bioethanol is obtained from the juice of sweet sorghum plant and also cellulosic bioethanol is produced from its bagasse remaining after extraction of its juice more bioethanol can be supplied from the unit area by using the whole plant having a high biomass potential and thus it can be provided advantages in terms of different aspects such as sustainability, environment and economy as a renewable energy source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the interaction of genotype and environment on the agronomic and technological traits of sweet sorghum. Fifteen sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) varieties were grown in two locations El Giza (30.01 N latitude) and Alexandria (31°, 12N latitude) over two consecutive years (2020 and 2021). Variability in climatic growing conditions between environments affects the studied traits. As a result, genetic (G), environmental (E), year (Y) and their interactions significantly affected the majority of studied traits. Within the studied variety, ‘Brands’ had significantly greater mean values than other varieties in seven of the measured traits (stalk diameter, ethanol yield, syrup yield, sucrose%, reducing sugar%, fermentable sugar%, and syrup% ) and ‘Umbrella’ had the highest stalk yield, juice yield, ethanol yield, juice extraction%, Brix % and purity% mean values in El Giza while in Alexandria ‘M N8311’ had significantly higher mean value in seven of thirteen traits (plant height, juice yield, ethanol yield, Brix%, reducing sugar%, juice extraction and syrup%) and ‘GK Ahron’ had greater stalk diameter, stalk yield, juice yield, syrup yield and syrup% than those observed in other varieties. MN83-11 and SS301-1 had significantly higher mean values than other varieties in plant height at El Giza and Alexandria. Also, SS301-1 and Tracy recorded higher stalk diameters as compared to other varieties.In addition MN1500, MN83- 11 and Umbrella recorded higher mean values of Brix% in both environments. As a result, we identified eight strong positive pairwise correlations and fifteen moderately positive correlated traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the background of the increased interest in the organic plant production in in the Agricultural Institute - Shumen was created the first for the last 50 years Bulgarian variety of sweet sorghum. Shume Sweet is developped after many years studies of local populations from the North-Eastern region of Bulgaria. Assessment and selection of perspective progenies were carried out for consolidation of stabilized population with high productivity of stem mass in technical maturity as a row material for extraction of juice with 11-15% of sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose. The preliminary tests in comparative variety trials confirm the high and stable productive potential for extraction of juice with optimal qualities for production of concentrated sweet syrops. After tests in the system of IASAS the Shoumen Sweet variety has been certified by the agency in 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major goal of this case study was to estimate the impact of two soil amendments on soil fertility, grain crops yield, and quality. The greatest effect of increasing sweet sorghum biomass produced in loess like loam has been obtained using sewage sludge (SS) at the rate of 80t/ha. Such a reaction has become appropriate to the introduction of nutrients into the "young" soil. The SS applying by rate of 60 t/ha had little effect on the increase in the content of zinc and copper in sunflower seeds in the experiment managed on black soil. Trace concentrations of lead and cadmium are recorded. The addition of vermicompost and a solid fraction of digestate at a rate of 40 t/ha led to an increase in the corn grain yield obtained on black soil at the 20.1 and 35.0%, respectively. The greater starting effect on urease activity was recorded from the introduction of vermicompost compared to the solid fraction of the digestate. The application of the solid fraction of the digestate had a positive effect on the activity of phosphatase in the topsoil in the first part of the season of vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the impact of global climate change increases, the interaction of biotic and abiotic stresses increasingly threatens current agricultural practices. The most effective solution to the problem of climate change and a decrease in the amount of atmospheric precipitation is planting extremely drought-resistant and high-yielding crops. Sorghum can grow in harsh conditions such as salinity, drought and limited nutrients, also it is an important part of the diet in many countries. Sorghum can be introduced in many zones of Kazakhstan. Plant height and yield of green plant biomass of 16 sorghum samples in arid conditions were determined based on a set of agrobiological characteristics for field screening. The height of the studied samples of grain sorghum was 0.47 ±0.03 m, and the height of sweet sorghum was much longer, reaching up to 2.88 ±0.12 m. Also, there was a strong difference in green biomass in cultivated areas under different soil and climatic conditions, the green biomass of sweet sorghum was 3.0 Mg∙ha-1, and in grain sorghum, it reached up to 57.4 Mg∙ha-1. Based on the data of the field assessment for various soil and climatic conditions, the following samples were identified for introduction into production: samples of sweet sorghum for irrigated and rainfed lands of the Almaty Region and in the conditions of non-irrigation agriculture of the Aktobe Region - a promising line ICSV 93046. For non-irrigation agriculture of the Akmola Region, genotypes of sweet and grain sorghum are 'Chaika', 'Kinelskoe 4' and 'Volzhskoe 44'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a potential plant to be developed as food, feed, and industrial raw materials. In Indonesia, sweet sorghum breeding is needed because only five varieties of sweet sorghum have been released. Genetic variability is essential in breeding. Through mutation induction, breeders can increase genetic variability so that new characters superior to their parents can be obtained. This study aimed to analyze the effect of various doses of gamma-ray irradiation on genetic variability in the agronomic character of the M2 population derived from the sweet sorghum Super 2 mutant and to select potential populations for further selection. The research was carried out at Experimental Garden, ICABIOGRAD, in February-June 2021. The material used was selected M2 mutant seeds from mutant populations resulting from gamma-ray irradiation of sorghum's shoots of Super 2 variety with doses of 40, 50, 60, and 70 Gy. Variables observed were plant height, stem diameter, panicle length, panicle diameter, sugar content, and fresh and dry panicle weights. The results showed that all radiation doses could increase genetic variability in M2 plants compared to their parents. Significant differences in characters between the original parents and the M2 population with a dose of 40 Gy were seen in the top diameter of the stem, panicle length, and sugar content; at a dose of 50 Gy in panicle diameter, sugar content, and fresh panicle weight; at a dose of 60 Gy on plant height, top stem diameter, sugar content, fresh panicle weight; while at a dose of 70 Gy on bottom stem diameter and middle stem diameter. The potential population for further selection based on fresh weight is the irradiated mutant population with a dose of 70 Gy. In pre-analysis using Cluster Gram and 49 mutant genotypes of the 70Gy M2 population, a group of mutants similar to their parent (Super 2 sorghum variety) and the other group that was completely different from their parent was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the environmental impact of ethanol production using solid waste as a raw material from the extraction of red seaweed. Sources of data used in this study derived from literature studies. The type of red seaweed studied was κ-carrageenan extracted from Eucheuma cottoni, Eucheuma spinosum, and Gracilaria Manilaensis. The system limitation in this study is gate-to-gate analysis, which includes processing raw materials to ethanol products using the relative mass and energy value method using a cut-off value of 5%. The value of CO2 emissions from ethanol production using solid waste from Eucheuma cottonii is 2.97-10-14 kg CO2eq/kg of ethanol. The production of ethanol using solid waste from Eucheuma spinosum and Gracilaria manilaensis resulted in CO2 emissions of 5.72 and 2.87 kg CO2 eq/kg of ethanol, respectively. Bioethanol from solid waste extracted from κ-carrageenan from Eucheuma cottonii becomes an environmentally friendly biofuel compared to bioethanol from sugarcane and sweet bagasse sorghum. The result of the main environmental impact study using the LCA method shows that the fermentation process, followed by the production of enzymes and electricity, is the main contributor to CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil remediation agents (SRAs) such as biochar and hydroxyapatite (HAP) have shown a promising prospect in in situ soil remediation programs and safe crop production. However, the effects of SRAs on soil microbial communities still remain unclear, particularly under field conditions. Here, a field case study was conducted to compare the effects of biochar and HAP on soil bacterial communities in a slightly Cd-contaminated farmland grown with sweet sorghum of different planting densities. We found that both biochar and HAP decreased the diversity and richness of soil bacteria, but they differently altered bacterial community structure. Biochar decreased Chao1 (−7.3%), Observed_species (−8.6%), and Shannon indexes (−1.3%), and HAP caused Shannon (−2.0%) and Simpson indexes (−0.1%) to decline. The relative abundance (RA) of some specific taxa and marker species was differently changed by biochar and HAP. Overall, sweet sorghum cultivation did not significantly alter soil bacterial diversity and richness but caused changes in the RA of some taxa. Some significant correlations were observed between soil properties and bacterial abundance. In conclusion, soil remediation with biochar and HAP caused alterations in soil bacterial communities. Our findings help to understand the ecological impacts of SRAs in soil remediation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huge ex-coal mining land provides the soil for crop development, yet soil improvement is required. Fertilizer and soil organic matter application and liming are standard practices to improve soil productivity. The integrated crop and land management (ICLM) package offers alternative technology to increase growth and crop yield. This study aimed to evaluate an ICLM technological package to improve sweet sorghum growth and production in the ex-coal mining land. The sweet sorghum of Bioguma 1 Agritan variety was used as the indicator crop. The ICLM was composed of mixed organic fertilizers (1,000 kg granule organic fertilizer ha-1, 10 kg Procal soil amendment ha-1, 10 kg Kayabio biofertilizer ha-1, and 5 kg NPK fertilizer ha-1), mixed inorganic fertilizers (300 kg NPK ha-1, 50 kg Urea ha-1, 10 kg Procal soil amendment ha-1, and 10 kg Kayabio biofertilizer ha-1), and local bio-activators. The field trial used a group-randomized design with four frequencies of bio-activator application and five replications. Mixed organic fertilizer was used to cover the planting holes, where previously, the seed was soaked by a bio-activator and put into holes. The mixed fertilizer was applied to a 14-day-old plant using the hole punch method (tugal). Results of this study showed that local bio-activator significantly affected the sorghum growth and yield. The best frequency of bio-activator application was three times spraying. ICLM are prospective technology to improve soil condition, crop growth, and crop yield in ex-coal mining land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]