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Elephant grass [Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. syn. Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone], also known as Napier grass and King grass, includes varieties Taiwán, Gigante, Merkerón, Maralfalfa, and others. The grass achieves high biomass production in tropical-subtropical, temperate, and arid areas. The high-water concentration of elephant grass suggests that ensiling could offer an alternative way to preserve the nutritional quality of the grass during storage, however, some considerations should be addressed because of the particularities of the grass. Ensiling elephant grass may produce adequate fermentation but could suffer effluent losses and subsequent losses of nutrients due to leaching. To improve fermentation and nutrient characteristics of elephant grass silages, several studies were conducted with the inclusion of additives. Lactic acid bacteria inocula have reduced pH and increased crude protein content of elephant grass silage, but aerobic stability of silages could be affected by the bacterial inoculation. There is limited information, however, on the potential of different silage inoculants to reduce growth of spoilage microorganisms during the aerobic phase of silage prepared with elephant grass. Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes also may improve elephant grass silage quality by enhancing microbial fiber-degradation with subsequent increase in lactic acid and its associated pH reduction. Another study approach to improve fermentation and nutritional quality of elephant grass silages involved the addition of different feeds at ensiling, including conventional feeds such corn, wheat, rice bran, and molasses or alternative feeds such as different dehydrated by-products obtained from the food industries of juice and jelly. In the manuscript, the presented scientific information shows the great potential of the different manipulations to improve the quality of elephant grass silages and with possible enhance of the economic profit and sustainability of livestock farming in the tropical areas., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth performance, fermentation indices and meat quality of Sussex steers fed totally mixed rations that composed of graded inclusion levels of Napier grass (NP). Three experimental diets designated as diet 1 (0.0 g kg -1 NP: Control), diet 2 (300 g kg -1 NP grass) and diet 3 (600 g kg -1 NP) were formulated. Twenty-four male steers aged 8 months with an average body weight of 185.0 ± 30 kg were used. In a completely randomized design, the animals were allocated to the diets and fed for 120 days. Dietary NP inclusion reduced (P < 0.05) the animals' average daily gain and increased the feed efficiency. The steers' daily feed intake and final body weight decreased (P < 0.05) with a 600 g kg -1 inclusion level. The fermentation indices were not affected (P > 0.05) by the inclusion. While the inclusion reduced (P < 0.05) warm muscle temperature, it had no effect (P > 0.05) on carcass dressing percentage, warm and cold initial and ultimate pH. However, 600 g kg -1 inclusion level reduced (P > 0.05) warm and cold carcass weights. Meat physical attributes, moisture characteristics and tenderness were not affected (P > 0.05) by dietary treatments, except for the 7-days aged meat thaw loss, which increased at 600 g kg -1 inclusion level. Inclusion of 300 g kg -1 increased meat protein and fat, but dry and organic matter contents decreased with increasing inclusion levels. Dietary inclusion of NP grass up to 300 g kg -1 in steers' diets improved feed intake, carcass traits and yielded meat high in protein and fat., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

As a kind of lignocellulosic biomass, Pennisetum sinense (P. sinense) is commonly used as animal feed, fertilizer or papermaking raw materials. Based on the high carbon content and renewability of P. sinense , we explored the possibility and feasibility of using it as catalyst matrix. The catalyst was produced by sulfonation of char obtained from the carbonization of P. sinense at 550 °C. The structure of the catalyst was characterized by SEM, BET, XRD, FT-IR, XPS and TGA, and its catalytic performance for the hydrolysis of cellulose was investigated in detail. The highest acidity of the catalyst was 3.79 mmol/g and the maximum glucose yield of 59.92% was achieved under optimized conditions. The catalyst also showed a promising reusability. The glucose yield was 53.01% after 5 cycles and as high as 55.92% when using the regenerated catalyst. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar el efecto de la edad de rebrote y del clima en la composición química del Cenchrus purpureus en ecosistemas degradados de Cuba. Se realizó un experimento en dos períodos bien definidos: poco lluvioso (enero a abril) y lluvioso (julio a octubre). Los tratamientos (edades de rebrote: 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 105 días) se distribuyeron en un diseño de bloques al azar con cuatro réplicas. Se determinaron los constituyentes estructurales de la pared celular, minerales (calcio y fósforo), y digestibilidad de la materia seca y orgánica. La fibra detergente neutra mostró un comportamiento definido por la estación climática (72,37% en lluvias y 69,67% en pocas lluvias). Los elementos del clima mostraron alta relación con la composición química y se ajustaron modelos lineales de regresión con elevados coeficientes de determinación, superiores a 0,71 en los dos períodos evaluados; las variables lluvias y temperatura máxima fueron las que proporcionaron mayores ajustes. Con el incremento de la edad disminuyó la calidad de la planta, y de los factores climáticos, las precipitaciones y temperatura máxima son las que más afectan la calidad nutritiva de la planta.

El objetivo de la investigación fue determinar y comparar el comportamiento productivo y la calidad forrajera del Pennisetum sp. (maralfalfa), Pennisetum purpureum Schum (pasto camerún) y Pennisetum purpureum x Pennisetum typhoides (king grass) en el valle altoandino de Ancash. Se utilizaron 120 semillas vegetativas por especie forrajera, sembradas con una densidad de 40 mil plantas ha-1 y se realizó un corte de uniformización a los 160 días post siembra (primera cosecha). Las variables evaluadas a la resiembra (30 días post siembra), fueron el porcentaje de prendimiento y capacidad de macollamiento. A los 226 días post siembra (segunda cosecha) se evaluó la altura de planta, rendimiento forrajero en materia verde y materia seca, tasa de crecimiento y calidad nutricional. Se utilizó un diseño completamente al azar con tres tratamientos (especies Pennisetum) y 6 repeticiones. La maralfalfa y el king grass mostraron los mejores porcentajes de prendimiento. La maralfalfa obtuvo la mayor capacidad de macollaje (8.9 macollos planta-1), altura de planta (0.98 m) y rendimiento forrajero en materia verde (90.3 t ha-1), mientras que el pasto camerún obtuvo el mayor rendimiento de materia seca y tasa de crecimiento (12.9 t MS ha-1 y 196.5 kg ha-1 día-1, respectivamente). Respaldados en el mayor rendimiento de materia seca y tasa de crecimiento, el pasto camerún seria la especie recomendada a cultivar en el ámbito de la zona evaluada. Una segunda alternativa a cultivar seria la maralfalfa que mostro las mejores características agronómicas.

Objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar o comportamento ingestivo e os padrões de deslocamento de novilhos de corte mantidos em pastagens de milheto ou de sorgo. Os tratamentos consistiam em: pastagem de milheto (Pennisetum americanum Leeke) ou pastagem de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), ambos submetidos à lotação contínua. Foram utilizados 18 novilhos, oriundos do cruzamento entre as raças Charolês e Nelore, com idade média inicial de 14 meses, e peso corporal inicial de 195 kg. O delineamento experimental foi blocos ao acaso com 3 repetições e parcelas subdivididas no tempo em 3 períodos, sendo os dados submetidos a análise de variância através do proc MIXED com P

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' is an ornamental grass plant that produces purple leaves in high-light environments and light purple or green leaves in low-light environments, the latter of which greatly reduces its aesthetic appeal. Therefore, we aimed to identify the key genes associated with leaf coloration and elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the color changes in P. setaceum 'Rubrum' leaves. We performed transcriptome sequencing of P. setaceum 'Rubrum' leaves before and after shading. A total of 19,043 differentially expressed genes were identified, and the numbers of upregulated and downregulated genes at T1 stage, when compared with their expression at the T0 stage, were 10,761 and 8,642, respectively. The possible pathways that determine P. setaceum 'Rubrum' leaf color included flavonoid biosynthesis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and carotenoid biosynthesis. There were 31 differentially expressed genes related to chlorophyll metabolism, of which 21 were related to chlorophyll biosynthesis and 10 to chlorophyll degradation, as well as three transcription factors that may be involved in the regulation of chlorophyll degradation. There were 31 key enzyme genes involved in anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation in P. setaceum 'Rubrum' leaves, with four transcription factors that may be involved in the regulation of anthocyanin metabolism. The transcriptome data were verified and confirmed reliable by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR analysis. These findings provide a genetic basis for improving leaf color in P. setaceum 'Rubrum.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoseiulus kikuyusp. nov. of Neoseiulus paspalivorus species-group was discovered from kikuyu grass, Pennisetum clandestinus (Poaceae) in Auckland, New Zealand. All life stages of this new species were described and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng. which is a perennial warm-season grass native to Asia and Australia that is used mainly as an ornamental in the United States. It mentions Reduced seed production in vegetatively propagated ornamentals and turfgrass is a desirable trait because it helps maintain the purity of a commercial cultivar.

Plants are always suffering periods of soil water deficit and sustained soil salinity during their life cycle. Unraveling the mechanisms underpinning the responses of plants, especially the photosynthesis, to drought, salinity, and co-occurring stresses is critical for both the protection of natural vegetation and the stabilization of crop production. To better understand the downregulation of photosynthetic capability induced by soil salinity and drought, gas exchange parameters, leaf pigment contents, and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence transients were analyzed in leaves of Hybrid Pennisetum. Our results showed that long-term moderate salinity, short-term drought, and the combination of these stressors decreased leaf pigment content by 11.4–31.5% and net photosynthetic rate (P n) by 14.6–67.6% compared to those in untreated plants. The reduction of P n in Hybrid Pennisetum under long-term salinity stress mainly occurred by stomatal limitation, whereas non-stomatal limitation played a dominant role under short-term drought stress. The changes in Chl a fluorescence kinetics (especially the appearance of the L-band and K-band) in both stress treatments showed that salinity and drought stress damaged the structural stability of photosystem II (PSII) and disturbed the equilibrium between the electrons at the acceptor and donor sides of PSII. Furthermore, although the negative effect of drought stress on leaf photosynthesis was much greater than that of salinity stress, moderate salt stress alleviated the negative effect of drought stress on the photosynthetic performance of Hybrid Pennisetum after long acclimation times. • Long-term salinity stress caused stomatal limitation on photosynthesis. • Short-term drought caused non-stomatal limitation on photosynthesis. • Mechanisms of abiotic stress on PSII performance were conducted by OJIP analysis. • 45 days of salinity stress induced photoacclimation. • Moderate salt stress alleviated the negative effect of drought on photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urochloa hybrids produce large amounts of biomass and have drought tolerance; however, there are few reports on the forage yield and quality of these forage grasses in semi‐arid environments. We evaluated the forage yield and nutritional value of Urochloa hybrids ('Mulato II', 'Cayman' and 'Cobra') and Pennisetum ciliare 'H‐17' (control) at three regrowth ages (RA: 4, 6 and 8 weeks), at maximum (MAR) and minimum (MIR) rainfall periods in semi‐arid climate. The variables evaluated were as follows: dry matter of leaves (DMl), stems (DMs), and total (DMT), crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and detergent fibers (neutral: NDF, and acid: ADF). The hybrids showed higher DMl, CP and IVDMD with values of 423 g/m2, 11% and 70%, respectively. 'H‐17' presented higher DMs, NDF and ADF, with values of 110 g/m2, 69% and 35%, respectively. Urochloa hybrids showed higher forage yield and nutritional value compared to Pennisetum ciliare 'H‐17' and could be an alternative for semi‐arid zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the fact that Pennisetum alopecuroides ears are black that represents a black dots in image from sky and developed a simple algorithm to count the number of P. alopecuroides plants from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images. Ortho‐mosaicked red‐green‐blue (RGB) images from different flight altitudes (28, 56 and 82 m) were obtained in the heading growth stage. To remove small noisy pixels, various sized median filters (3 × 3–21 × 21) were tested. While the relationship between field and image counts was positive for most images obtained from 56 and 82 m altitudes, images in the 28‐m flight altitude (the highest spatial resolution) with small and moderate‐sized median filters (3 × 3–9 × 9) were overestimated. Moreover, higher resolution images from lower altitudes of UAV images decrease the operating efficiency (areas covered per 10 min). Overall, the best accuracy (80.3%) and lowest mean absolute error (MAE = 12.93) were obtained for the 56‐m flight altitude (ground sampling distance [GSD] = 1.82 cm) with a 7 × 7 filter size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping the distribution of invasive species under current and future climate conditions is crucial to implement sustainable and effective conservation strategies. Several studies showed how invasive species may benefit from climate change fostering their invasion rate and, consequently, affecting the native species community. In the Canary Islands and on Tenerife in particular, previous research mostly focused on climate change impacts on the native communities, whereas less attention has been paid on alien species distribution under climate change scenarios. In this study, we modelled the habitat distribution of Pennisetum setaceum, one of the most invasive alien species on Tenerife. In addition, we described the species' potential distribution shift in the light of two climate change scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP8.5), highlighting the areas that should be prioritized during management and eradication programs. P. setaceum's suitable areas are located in the coastal area, with higher habitat suitability near cities and below 800 m asl. In both future climate change scenarios, the geographic distribution of P. setaceum suitable areas is characterized by an elevational shift, which is more pronounced in the RCP8.5 scenario. Despite being drought resistant, water supply is crucial for the species' seed germination, thus supporting future species' shift to higher elevation and in the north–north–west part of the island, where it could benefit from the combined effect of orographic precipitations and humidity carried by trade winds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the root of the Pennisetum sinese was used as the main research material, screening of growth-promoting strains from P. sinese, and explore the growth-promoting effects of growth-promoting strains. We used the following screening criteria for the determination of multiple growth-promoting capacities of primary strains: the ability to solubilize phosphorus, the ability to fix nitrogen, the ability to produce IAA. The strain YB-07 with the best growth-promoting effect was classified and identified through physiological and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence homology analysis. Eleven strains with better overall performance were screened out and used for a pot experiment with a single inoculation and multi-microbe mixed inoculation to determine its growth-promoting effect. A total of 101 strains were isolated from the roots of the P. sinese, and the growth-promoting ability was measured. Among them, the strain with excellent overall performance was YB-07, which had a phosphorus content of 20.1 mg·L-1, an IAA yield of 23.7 mg·L-1, and an ability to produce ammonia at the same time. The results of pot experiment showed that the effect of multi-microbe mixed inoculation on wheat growth increased by 24.49%, 31.84%, 28.06% and 34.14% in the height, dry weight, fresh weight and chlorophyll content, respectively. Single bacterium inoculation increased the plant height, dry weight, fresh weight, and chlorophyll content by 13.54%, 20.45%,16.84% and 35.19%, respectively, compared with the control group. The selected strain has good growth-promoting effect, can provide a good seed resources for the further construction of the P. sinese flora promoting bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ochratoxin A (OTA) and Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain mold species. In this primarily survey, we examined the OTA and AFB1 contamination of pearl millet grains distributed in Tunisia. Methods: Twenty-five pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) samples from different regions of Tunisia were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with fluorescence detector in order to evaluate the contamination with of AFB1 and OTA. Statistical tests were performed with XLSTAT 2018. Results: AFB1 and OTA were detected in 32 and 28% millet samples, respectively. Mean amounts of these mycotoxins in the contaminated samples were of 24.54±17.54 µg/kg for OTA and 22.72±23.09 µg/kg for AFB1. Approximately, 28 and 24% of analyzed samples were found above the European Union limits for AFB1 and OTA, respectively. The estimated daily intake of OTA and AFB1 were 3.76 and 3.89 ng/kg b.w. per day, respectively. No significantly (p>0.05) difference in OTA and AFB1 contamination rate was found between samples taken from different regions. Conclusion: Consumption of millet in Tunisia might be an important contributing factor to the risk of dietary exposure to OTA and AFB1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of optimal conditions for germination facilitates more efficient practices, such as fodder production and restoration. We assessed seeds of three grass species harvested in winter and summer 2018. Germination ability was assessed under two night/day temperature regimes (15 °C/20 °C, 20 °C/30 °C) and two photoperiod regimes (0, 12 h light per day). Winter-maturing seeds had a slightly lower mass and reduced germination. Temperature and light requirements for optimal germination were dependent on species and harvest-time. Summer-maturing seeds of all three species had higher germination rates regardless of germination temperature. Interactions among treatment temperatures and species were 0.7- to 5.4-times higher than the control, as shown by heatmaps. Therefore, attention to these factors will improve the efficiency of seedling establishment for rehabilitation work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to determine the effect of age and climate on the chemical composition of Cenchrus purpureus in degraded ecosystems of Cuba. An experiment was carried out in two welldefined periods: slightly rainy (January to April) and rainy (July to October). The treatments (regrowth ages: 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 105 days) were distributed in a randomized block design with four replicas. The structural constituents of the cell wall, minerals (calcium and phosphorus), and digestibility of dry and organic matter were determined. The neutral detergent fiber showed a behavior defined by the climatic season (72.37%) in rains and 69.67% in few rains). The elements of the climate showed a high relationship with the chemical composition and linear regression models were adjusted with high coefficients of determination, greater than 0.71 in the two periods evaluated; the rainfall and maximum temperature variables were the ones that provided the greatest adjustments. With the increase in age, the quality of the plant decreased, and of climatic factors, rainfall and maximum temperature are those that most affect the nutritional quality of the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The aim of the current research was to clarify the impacts of the ensiling of whole‐plant hybrid pennisetum with natamycin and Lactobacillus plantarum on fermentation characteristics and the meta‐genomic microbial community at low temperatures. RESULTS: During the ensiling process, lactic acid (LA) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) significantly (P < 0.05) increased and acetic acid (AA), water‐soluble carbohydrate (WSC), ammonia total nitrogen (NH3‐N), and yeast significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in treatments as compared to controls. Different treatments and different ensiling days led to variations in the bacterial community at family and genus levels. The family Lactobacillaceae and genera Lactobacillus and Pediococcus are dominant communities in treatment silage. The family and genus levels bacterial ecology and fermentation quality were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA). The PCO1, and PCO2 can be explained by 10.81% and 72.14% of the whole variance regularly, similarly in PCO1 and PCO2 can be explained 24.23% and 52.06% regularly. The core bacterial micro‐biome operational taxonomic unit (OTU) numbers increased in treatments, as compared to controls, on different hybrid pennisetum ensiling days. CONCLUSIONS: The inoculation of L. plantarum alone and combined with natamycin influenced the fermentation quality and reduced undesirable microorganisms during the fermentation of hybrid pennisetum silage. Natamycin alone did not significantly enhance the concentration of organic acid but numerically enhanced in treatments group as compared to control. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Tift H18' (PP30724 P2) and ‘Tift PA5' (PP31027 P2) are perennial P. alopecuroides grasses with desirable ornamental characteristics and significantly reduced seed production. It mentions that vegetative plants of P. alopecuroides var. Hameln were obtained from Emerald Coast Growers in Spring 2008.

Salinity poses serious threats to landscapes across the globe, decreasing the capacity of all types of terrestrial ecosystems in providing services by threatening our biodiversity, lowering agricultural productivity, deteriorating the environment, contaminating groundwater below standard level, enhancing flood risks, food security issues and restricting the economic growth of a community. Reclamation measures are required to reverse the process of land degradation caused by salinization; otherwise, the trend towards salinization is expected to grow beyond control in developing countries. The scientific community and the policy-makers around the globe have been testing long-term technologies including physicochemical, conventional breeding and genetic engineering involving state of the art molecular tools for more than three decades. Nevertheless, they have failed due to reasons like non-technical feasibility reports, reliability and affordability issues coupled with sustainability constraints at field level. This review discusses the potential prospects of Pennisetum genus (Poaceae) for integrated, sustainable, robust and profitable saline agriculture based on phytoremediation agro-technique. Our approach is the first ever record, providing a novel insight into a cost-effective biotech agro-technique. Pennisetum species are environment-friendly future candidates with prospects for all stakeholders to materialize higher average productivity at the field level, posing lesser competition for resources with standard conventional crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uptake and distribution of four heavy metals, including copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), and those of total phosphorus (TP) in 30 plants in North China were investigated through pot trial experiments. Accumulation and distribution of heavy metals or TP were associated with plant species, tissues, metal elements and pollutant loading. The highest amount of heavy metal and TP accumulation was found in the whole plants of Hylotelephium erythrostictum (Miq.) H. Ohba (C1) and Chlorophytum laxum R. Br. (L4), respectively. Considering the biological concentration factor, translocation factor, retention factor and biomass indices, C1 is the suitable plant for Cd and Cu uptake, whereas Hosta plantaginea (Lam.) Aschers (L3) and Viola verecunda A. Gray (V1) are the suitable plants for Pb removal. Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaetn.) Libosch. ex Fisch. (S1) and L4 can be chosen for Zn and TP removal, respectively. Cluster analysis was applied to select suitable plants for heavy metal and TP removal. Results showed that C1, L4 and Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng (G1) have a good capability of accumulating heavy metals and TP. Results demonstrated that the plant species rather than the families considerably influenced the accumulation of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarocladium species are common endophytes of tropical forage grasses and may offer benefits to host plants against biotic and abiotic stresses. We investigated a collection of 88 Sarocladium isolates previously obtained as endophytes from Panicum maximum, Pennisetum purpureum, Cynodon nlemfuensis, and Brachiaria spp. in Brazil. Multilocus phylogenetic analyses and morphological characterization were used for species delimitation. Sixty-eight isolates were identified as S. spinificis, and five as S. terricola; S. bactrocephalum, S. kiliense, S. spirale, and S. strictum were represented by one to three isolates. A well-supported clade containing eight endophytic isolates occupied a sister position to the clade containing S. bactrocephalum, S. mali, and S. strictum, and is described as a new taxon, Sarocladium graminicola. This work provides new insights on the distribution and diversity of endophytic Sarocladium species in the tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was executed out to evaluate the efficacy of bio-fertilizer for Pseudomonas putida isolates by using carriers and their interference with levels of mineral fertilization. Three treatments were studied for biological fertilization, which are the treatment of biological fertilizer carried on peatmos (A1), the treatment of biological fertilizer carried on clay (A2) and the treatment of non- carried biological fertilizer (A3), in addition to the non-biofertilized comparison treatment (A0), four levels of mineral fertilization (0, 50%, 75% and 100% of the fertilizer recommendation) and denoted by F0, F1, F2 and F3 respectively and their effect on the growth and production of millet plant. A field experiment was conducted using a complete random design (CRD) with three replications, in which it studied the effect of the biological fertilizer of Pseudomonas putida and its interference with the levels of mineral fertilization on the growth and yield of millet and the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium elements in grains. At the end of the experiment, it was found that the biological fertilization treatment with bacteria Pseudomonas putida carried on peatmos was significantly superior to biological fertilization treatment for the same bacteria and not carried with carriers, and the biological fertilization treatment with Pseudomonas putida bacteria carried on peatmos with 100% of mineral fertilization (A1F3) differed significantly from other treatments in most characteristics and gave the highest values of plant height characteristics, total grain yield and nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium concentration in grains, which increased by 108.5%, 126.1%, 28.6%, 276.5% and 111.0%, respectively, compared with the non-inoculated and non-fertilized comparison treatment (A0F0). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibition of cellulose hydrolysis has been reported extensively, however, there is a paucity of information describing the effect of lignin on xylan hydrolysis by endo-xylanase and β-xylosidase. In this report, the effects of two different lignins on enzymatic hydrolysis of isolated xylan and NaOH-pretreated pennisetum by endo-xylanase and β-xylosidase were assessed. Both acid insoluble lignin (AIL) and enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL) were found to inhibit hydrolysis of endo-xylanase and β-xylosidase, and AIL had a stronger negative effect on enzymatic hydrolysis when compared with that of EHL. Results from inhibitory kinetics experiments showed that the inhibition of AIL and EHL on xylanase did not follow Michaelis–Menten kinetics. The higher adsorption capacity of AIL toward xylanase arose from its higher hydrophobicity and lower absolute zeta potential, and this likely explains the higher inhibitory effect of AIL than that of EHL. The results aid our understanding of the role of lignin in xylan hydrolysis by xylanolytic enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: A leach‐bed reactor (LBR) with leachate recirculation is a suitable technology for lignocellulosic biomass anaerobic digestion. In this study, the effect of percolate reflux strategies (continuous recirculation and intermittent recirculation) on methane production from Pennisetum hybrid, a type of energy crop, was investigated using a two‐layered LBR. RESULTS: Compared to a solid‐state anaerobic digestion batch test, LBRs with percolate recirculation provide a stable process with a short lag phase by avoiding inhibition of volatile fatty acid accumulation and inoculation effect. The results also indicated that continuous reflux led to a lower accumulative methane yield (56.20 L kg−1 VS) compared to intermittent reflux (78.50 L kg−1 VS), resulting from washing effect and poorer distribution on the lower layer. According to microbial analysis, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Synergistetes were the most predominant bacterial phyla in each LBR test sample and aceticlastic methanogen (at least >55%) plays a predominant role for methane production in all samples. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that leachate recirculation could provide stable conditions for methane yield; however, two‐layer reactor designs which cannot guarantee the desired distribution in the lower layer result in a low methane yield. Suitable design of LBRs to maintain a well‐distributed reflux leachate should be further investigated. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognized that vegetation plays a significant role in contrasting slope instability through the root reinforcement. The main objectives of this paper are to evaluate the root tensile of selected Pennisetum species, namely, P. pedicellatum (PPd) and P. polystachion (PPl), and to determine the soil shear strength of root-permeated soil from these species. The selected species were initially planted in the polybags using the hydroseeding technique. A mineral fertilizer of NPK ratio 10 : 8 : 10 was adopted in the hydroseeding mixture. Routine watering program was applied twice a day throughout growth observation for six months. Four replications were prepared for each species including a set of control polybags, which contained only soil for reference and comparison. The results of root tensile tests revealed the significant relationships between root diameter and tensile force. In comparison, the PPl was still indicated by higher values of root tensile force than PPd. The presence of roots clearly has contributed to the shear stress of root-permeated soils. The root density based on root biomass measurement attributed to the higher value of peak shear stress as achieved by PPl than PPd. The combined effects of root tensile and the soil shear strengths of this selected species can be used as biological materials in slope protection against erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences is the property of Editorial Board of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Biofertilizer plays a significant role in crop cultivation that had reduced its inorganic fertilizer use. The effects of inorganic fertilizer reduction combined with Pennisetum giganteum z.x.lin mixed nitrogen-fixing biofertilizer on the growth, quality, soil nutrients and diversity of the soil bacterial community in the rhizosphere soil of pakchoi were studied. The experiment composed of 6 treatments, including CK (no fertilization), DL (10% inorganic fertilizer reduction combined with Pennisetum giganteum z.x.lin mixed nitrogen-fixing biofertilizer), ZL (25% inorganic fertilizer reduction combined with Pennisetum giganteum z.x.lin mixed nitrogen-fixing biofertilizer), SL (50% inorganic fertilizer reduction combined with Pennisetum giganteum z.x.lin mixed nitrogen-fixing biofertilizer), FHF (100% inorganic fertilizer) and JZ (100% inorganic fertilizer combined with sterilized Pennisetum giganteum z.x.lin mixed nitrogen-fixing biofertilizer). Compared with conventional fertilization, the 25% reduction in chemical fertilizer applied with the Pennisetum giganteum mixed nitrogen-fixing biofertilizer resulted in higher plant height, plant weight, chlorophyll content, soluble protein content, soluble sugar content, vitamin C content, alkali hydrolyzed nitrogen content, available phosphorus content, available potassium content and organic matter content in pakchoi, and these variables increased by 11.81%, 8.54%, 7.37%, 16.88%, 17.05%, 23.70%, 24.24%, 36.56%, 21.09% and 19.72%, respectively. In addition, the 25% reduction in chemical fertilizer applied with the Pennisetum giganteum mixed nitrogen-fixing biofertilizer also had the lowest nitrate content, which was 53.86% lower than that with conventional fertilization. Different fertilizer treatments had a significant effect on the soil bacterial community structure. Compared with conventional fertilization, the coapplication of Pennisetum giganteum z.x.lin mixed nitrogen-fixing biofertilizer and inorganic fertilizer significantly increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria in the soil. The results of the redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that soil organic matter, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, pH and water content had a specific impact on the soil bacterial community. Among the factors, soil water content was the main factor affecting the soil bacterial community, followed by soil organic matter, soil pH, available potassium, soil available phosphorus and soil alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to analyze the effects of endophytic Bacillus megaterium (BM 18‐2) colonization on structure strengthening, microbial community, chemical composition and stabilization properties of Hybrid Pennisetum. RESULTS: The BM 18‐2 had successfully colonized in the interior tissues in both leaf and stem of Hybrid Pennisetum. During ensiling, the levels of pH, acetic acid (AA), butyric acid (BA), propionic acid (PA), and the population of yeast and aerobic bacteria were significantly (P > 0.05) lower, while lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and lactic acid (LA) were significantly (P < 0.001) higher with the steps forward of ensiling in with BM 18‐2 as compared to without BM 18‐2 colonized of Hybrid Pennisetum. During the different ensiling days, at days 3, 6, 15, and 30, the genus Brevundimonas, Klebsiella, Lactococcus, Weissella, Enterobacter, Serratia, etc. population were significantly decreased, while genus Pediococcus acidilactici and Lactobacillus plantarum were significantly influenced in treated groups as compared to control. The genus Lactobacillus and Pediococcus were positively correlated with treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the endophytic bacteria strain BM 18‐2 significantly promoted growth characteristics and biomass yield before ensiling and after ensiling inoculated with or without Lactobacillus plantarum could improve the distinct changes of the undesirable microbial diversity, chemical composition, and stabilization properties in with BM 18‐2 as compared to without BM 18‐2 colonized Hybrid Pennisetum. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new eriophyoid mites infesting weeds of the family Poaceae are described and illustrated from Egypt. They are Abacarus stagninissp. nov. from Echinochloa stagnina (Retz.) P. Beauv., vagrants in grooves between veins on the upper leaf surface, causing discoloration of the leaves; and four new species from genus Aceria (A. echinochloaesp. nov., A. barnyardisp. nov., and A. stagninissp. nov.) from E. stagnina and E. crus–galli (L.) Beauv., and Aceria pennisetosasp. nov., from Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. These species are vagrants underneath inner surface of the leaf sheath around stem and no symptoms were observed. However, A. barnyardisp. nov. is a vagrant underneath inner surface of the leaf sheath around stem and are endoparasitic inside tissue of leaves causing rusted leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pennisetum giganteum, an abundant, fast-growing perennial C4 grass that belongs to the genus Pennisetum, family Poaceae, has been developed as a source of biomass for mushroom cultivation and production, as a source of forage for cattle and sheep, and as a tool to remedy soil erosion. However, having a chilling-sensitive nature, P. giganteum seedlings need to be protected while overwintering in most temperate climate regions. Results: To elucidate the cold stress responses of P. giganteum, we carried out comprehensive full-length transcriptomes from leaf and root tissues under room temperature (RT) and chilling temperature (CT) using PacBio Iso-Seq long reads. We identified 196,124 and 140,766 full-length consensus transcripts in the RT and CT samples, respectively. We then systematically performed functional annotation, transcription factor identification, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) prediction, and simple sequence repeat (SSR) analysis of those full-length transcriptomes. Isoform analysis revealed that alternative splicing events may be induced by cold stress in P. giganteum, and transcript variants may be involved in C18 unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism pathways at chilling temperature in P. giganteum. Furthermore, the fatty acid composition determination and gene expression level analysis supported that C18 unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism pathways may play roles during cold stress in P. giganteum. Conclusions: We provide the first comprehensive full-length transcriptomic resource for the abundant and fast-growing perennial grass Pennisetum giganteum. Our results provide a useful transcriptomic resource for exploring the biological pathways involved in the cold stress responses of P. giganteum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical models are useful in calculating forage nutrient concentration, nutrient extraction and growth curves. An analysis was done of growth and nutrient content in Pennisetum sp. (maralfalfa) applying Gompertz and Logistic models. Dilution curves for nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (NPK) were generated using a negative potential model and maximum extraction values were calculated with a second order polynomial equation. Nutrient unitary extraction and nutrient recovery efficiency of NPK were also calculated. The goodness-of-fit models were compared using a completely randomized design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, in which factor A was the two models and factor B was the real-world assay (fertilized treatment vs. control). Nutrient concentration curves were optimized with the Levenberg-Marquart algorithm. Both models' goodness-of-fit were similar among the study plots, although the Gompertz model better represented biological reality. Maximum growth rate was reached at 21 d after sowing in the control plots and at 56 d in the fertilized plots. The inflection point was reached at 30 ds in the control plots and at 31 d in the fertilized plots. Nutrient concentration decreased over time in both the treatment and control, and dry matter production was highest in the fertilized treatment. Aside from calcium and magnesium, nutrient unitary extraction did not differ between the treatment and control. Nutrient recovery efficiency was 48 % for nitrogen, 39% for phosphorous and 104 % for potassium, suggesting excess nutrient levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia is one of the among five countries with big human population in the world, still import red meat to meet demand of this meat in country, since the price of this commodity is higher than those import. This expensive product due to the fattening cattle in country use concentrate as animal feed rather than forages as practice in other country such as Australia. The problem is supply of forages is insufficient due to limitation of space for forage production. Especially during dry season, the forages almost disappears and farmer face on shortage supply of forage followed decrease beef production. Contrary forages available abundantly during rainy season both grasses and herbaceous and tree legume leaves. The major objectives of this research is to create a complete ration based on material available locally. The aims of this present research was to study the effects of enriched protein of tree legume leaf on complete dry ration based on tropical grass Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mott. The experiment was conducted at Laboratory of Forage Science Faculty of Animal Science, University of Sam Ratulangi Manado. The plant material used, consists of tree legumes leafs of Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala and Indigofera zollineriana in this study were taken from the field experimental station in collaboration with Regional Board of Agricultural Assessment Technology in North Sulawesi Province. All plants has been trimming to get homogeny re-growth where Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mott was harvest at the age of 45 days re-growth and all tree legumes were harvest at the age of 60 days re-growth. P. purpurem cv. Mott was defoliated at first node from the soil surface (approximately 10 cm above ground). Sample of P. purpurem comprised five plants in two places in each plot so there were 10 plants as sample in each plot. All tree legumes were defoliated at 1 meter from the soil surface. Fresh samples were then dried at 60 0C or about 48 h to determine the dry weight. Complete rations in this research were dried chopped P. purpureum (PP), dried ground leaf of tree legume of G. sepium (GS), L. leucocephala (LL) and I. zolingeriana (IZ), and concentrate (Crt) consists of rice bran, ground yellow corn, tapioca powder, salt and mineral mix. The treatments were: T-0 = P. purpureum (control); T-1 = PP + GS+Crt; T-2 = PP + LL + Crt; T-3 = PP + IZ + Crt. All ingredient in each treatment were mixed homogenically, formed a block of 10 cm x 20 cm x 5 cm and dried under sun light. Treatments were arranged on Completely Randomized Design, with 5 replications. Twenty male goats with average body weight ± 15 Kg has been used. Variables measured were quality of complete rations, feed intake and total digestible nutrient. Total digestible collection methods have been applied to determine the apparent digestible coefficient of dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, ether extract and nitrogen free extract. This trial has been done in two period of time, where 7 days of preliminary periods as adaptation to the new ration, and 5 days as feces and intake data collecting. Total ration offered and refused was measured each day during collecting periods, and drinking water for animal was available freely. For control ecto and endo parasite animal has received injection of doramicine prescribe by veterinarian. Sample of test rations has been taken two days at the end of preliminary periods and five days during collecting data. Sample of feces was first dried under sun light and then oven drying at 60 0C for 48 hours. The samples were analyzed for dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber and ash according to the standard procedure of Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Data were then statistically analyzed by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) by means of MINITAB (Version 16). Honestly Significance Difference (HSD) was applied to determine the difference among treatments. Differences were considered at P<0.05. The results of this research showed that treatment T-3 with I. zolingeriana (IZ) as source of phyto-protein in complete rations has the best results on all variables measured. It could be concluded that leaves of this tree legumeis prospective to support application of technology complete ration based on local resources to resolve the problem of shortages of feeds supply to ruminant in tropic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences is the property of Editorial Board of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species, Article 24(1), obliges the EU Member States to report by 1st June 2019, and every six years thereafter, the distribution of the invasive alien species of Union or regional concern. Currently, the List of invasive alien species of EU concern comprises eight species which are present in the Bulgarian flora. Of these, five species were included in the first national report: Asclepias syriaca, Elodea nuttallii, Heracleum mantegazzianum, Impatiens glandulifera, Pennisetum setaceum. The article presents the presently known distribution of these species in the Bulgarian flora and provides some guidance for gathering and publishing of new chorological records and data about the population size of these species in Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the colonization of endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacterium Klebsiella variicola in Penniseum sinense, pET28a and the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were used as basic elements to construct a recombinant expression vector pET28a-Lac-EGFP with the addition of starter Lac in pUC18 vector using enzymatic digestion and splicing methods. The constructed recombinant vector was transformed into K. variicola GN02 cells with electroporation method and the colonization of EGFP-tagged K. variicola GN02 in the roots of Pennisetum sp. was observed using laser confocal scanning microscopy. The results of restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing analysis indicated that pET28a-Lac-EGFP was successfully constructed and the target gene was successfully transferred into K. variicola GN02 cells. Positive colonies with obvious green fluorescence were observed under ultraviolet (UV) light. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that expression of the EGFP-labelled target protein was also successfully induced in K. variicola GN02 cells. Root scanner and confocal microscopy showed that inoculation of K. variicola GN02 strain was more conducive to the root growth of P. sinense and K. variicola GN02 mainly colonized the endothelial layer of Pennisetum sp. roots. However, colonization with a small amount of K. variicola GN02 led to its concentration in the epidermis, middle column and ducts. Our findings suggest that the endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacterium K. variicola accumulates in plant roots and is subsequently dispersed, aggregated or even colonized in susceptible plants. Furthermore, we provided a theoretical basis for the practical used of K. variicola GN02-based microbial fertilizers in P. sinense and gramineous plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agro Productividad is the property of Colegio de Postgraduados and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Agro Productividad is the property of Colegio de Postgraduados and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in agricultural products and the potential danger of its incursion into the food chain pose serious implications for public health. To address soil Cd-contamination, a combination of biogenic zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO.NPs) and Pennisetum giganteum was employed for remediation. Phytoextraction potential of P. giganteum plants was assessed in Cd-contaminated soil (40 mg/kg) by facilitating with low (50 mg/kg) and high (100 mg/kg) dosages of ZnO.NPs and its impact was assessed on the indigenous microbial community associated with its rhizocompartments. ZnO.NPs substantially enhanced the tolerance and ability of plant to accumulate Cd in plant shoot (1.48–1.72-fold) and root (1.6–2.1-fold) system as compared with control. Moreover, an improvement in the antioxidative response was observed, which effectively mitigated oxidative stress at a low concentration of ZnO.NPs, as evidenced by leaf ultrastructural analysis. Beyond that, soil enzyme activities such as acid phosphatase (1.33 and1.43-fold), urease (1.42 and 1.57-fold) catalase (2.3 and 1.9-fold) and saccharase (1.2 and 1.3-fold) were augmented by low and high doses, respectively. In addition, we opted to examine the plant rhizocompartments-associated bacterial community structure which likely affected by the modifications in soil enzymes influenced by ZnO.NPs. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that root associated bacterial community was prominently differed in control, low and high levels of ZnO.NPs. Nevertheless, the bacterial community structure's richness and evenness did not show significant differences, while diversity was found to be negatively affected only by high concentrations of ZnO.NPs. It is worth noting that, Thiobacillus , Stenotrophomonas , Chloroflexi , Cellvibro and Phenylobacterium were significantly enriched only in low ZnO.NPs supplemented plants. In-depth analysis of indicator genera also indicated differences (LDA score >2.0, p < 0.05) in plants rhizocompartments under different treatments. The results from this study highlight significant changes in several plant-based endpoints, particularly at low concentration, by improving the phytoremediation potential, overall plant performance and rhizocompartments-associated bacterial community structure. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • NOx emissions from Pennisetum Giganteum combustion are studied. • Growth rate of NOx in the range of 800–850 °C is the largest(3.06 × 10−6 L/g∙°C). • Fe 2 TiO 5 , Fe 2 TiO 5 -Al 2 O 3 and Fe 2 TiO 5 -CaO can significantly reduce NOx emissions. • In particular, the denitrification rate of 5% Fe 2 TiO 5 is 29.67%. Pennisetum giganteum (P. giganteum) is a popular biomass raw material with a fast growth rate and high yield. Herein, a tube furnace device is used to analyze the effects of temperature, oxygen concentration, and type and mass fraction of metal oxide, upon the combustion of P. giganteum in order to determine the optimal conditions for controlling the release of nitrogen oxides (NO x). The results demonstrate a 261.17% increase in NO x emissions from 1.03 × 10-4 L/g to 3.72 × 10-4 L/g as the temperature is increased from 600 to 900 °C. Meanwhile, as the oxygen concentration is increased, the NO x emissions initially increase, and eventually stabilize. Finally, The type and mass fraction of metal oxide has a significant impact on NO x emissions. Overall, all the four metal oxides (CaO, Fe 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , and Al 2 O 3) can inhibit NO x emissions, with Fe 2 O 3 having the best effect, giving a 24.3% reduction at a mass fraction of only 5%. Moreover, the composite metal oxides Fe 2 TiO 5 , Fe 2 TiO 5 -Al 2 O 3 , and Fe 2 TiO 5 -CaO are shown to significantly reduce NOx emissions, with Fe 2 TiO 5 having the best effect, of emission reduction rate of 29.67%, which is 5.34% and 16.32% higher than single metal oxides Fe 2 O 3 and TiO 2 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation in crops such as rice in Hg-contaminated areas presents a potential health hazard to humans and wildlife. To develop a safe alternative technique, bacillus -inoculated biofertilizer, citric acid, earthworms, and selenium-modified activated clay were compared for their ability to regulate Hg bioaccumulation in Pennisetum giganteum (P. giganteum). This biofertilizer significantly increased Bacillus sp. abundance in the soil by 157.12%, resulting in the removal of 27.52% of water-soluble Hg fractions through volatilization and adsorption mechanisms. The variation in bioavailable Hg in the soil significantly reduced the total Hg concentration in P. giganteum young leaves, old leaves, stems, and roots of P. giganteum by 74.14%, 48.08%, 93.72%, and 50.91%, respectively (p < 0.05), which is lower than the Chinese feed safety standard (100 ng g−1). The biofertilizer inhibitory potential was highly consistent with that of the selenium-modified activated clay. Biofertilizers significantly reduced the methylmercury concentration in various P. giganteum tissues (p < 0.05), whereas selenium-modified activated clay failed to achieve a comparable effect. This biofertilizer-assisted planting pattern can achieve an economic income quadruple that of the rice planting pattern in the Hg-contaminated paddy fields. Because of its significant environmental and financial applications, the biofertilizer-assisted planting pattern is expected to replace Hg-contaminated paddy fields. [Display omitted] • A novel biofertilizer-assisted P. giganteum remediation technique was developed. • Biofertilizer significantly reduces total Hg and MeHg in P. giganteum tissues. • Biosorption and biovolatilization mechanisms reduce the bioavailable Hg in soil. • Higher economic output was achieved compared to the current planting pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Chinese Society of Animal Science is the property of Chinese Society of Animal Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

[Display omitted] • A static ultra-high pressure pretreatment method for AD has been developed. • Electron transfer capacity of system was analyzed by electrochemical test. • A better digestion performance obtained at CIP samples of Hybrid Pennisetum. • Higher accessibility between material and inoculum through CIP was proved by mapping. Ultra-high pressing pretreatment has been employed to effectively improve methane production from Hybrid Pennisetum. In this study, Hybrid Pennisetum was pretreated by cold isostatic pressing (CIP) to improve methane production. The pretreatment enhanced the accessibility between the substrate and inoculum. The decomposition of the compact biomass structure was analyzed through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR) and X-ray Diffractometer (XRD). Moreover, the electron transfer capability in the system was evaluated by electrochemical analysis. The systematic experiment yielded the highest methane production at a pressure of 400Mpa, reaching 227.67 mL/g VS. The pretreatment changed the reducing sugar content (RS), pH, and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the AD system, which in turn increased the cumulative methane production. This study provides a promising platform for the development of an efficient methanogenic pretreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective separation of lignin is a prerequisite for the high-value application of lignocellulosic biomass. In this work, the delignification of hybrid Pennisetum (Pennisetum americanum×P. purpureum , HP) using environmentally-friendly steam explosion assisted p -toluenesulfonic acid (p -TsOH) treatment was investigated. The enhancement mechanism of steam explosion was studied by structural analysis of lignin separated using a double enzymatic hydrolysis method. The results showed that the p -TsOH delignification process could be successfully simulated by a second-order kinetic model. After steam explosion at logR 0 = 3.89, the activation energy for lignin p -TsOH extraction decreased by 30%, the extraction capacity increased by 60%, and the fractionation yield of lignin reached 89.21%, enabling rapid and near-complete dissolution of lignin. Characterization of physicochemical properties using BET, GPC, and XRD techniques indicated that the specific surface area of HP dramatically increased after steam explosion (from 0.9 to 5.02 m2 g−1), while the lignin molecular weight significantly decreased. The 2D-HSQC spectra further revealed that various linkages (e.g., β -O-4, β -5, and BE) in lignin underwent varying degrees of cleavage after steam explosion, and the depolymerization reaction was dominant. These modifications by steam explosion collectively led to changes in the lignin fractionation process. This work provides a green and efficient method for delignification of HP, which helps to maximize the utilization of HP for biorefinery industries. • Lignin was fractionated efficiently by steam explosion assisted p -TsOH treatment. • A second-order model successfully simulated the p -TsOH delignification process. • Steam explosion decreased the activation energy for p -TsOH delignification by 30%. • The fractionation yield of lignin reached 89.21% with the new method. • Lignin macromolecules underwent extensive depolymerization during steam explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This two-year study evaluated the effect of Pennisetum purpureum genotypes under rainfed or irrigated conditions, during the dry and rainy seasons, on herbage, leaf, and stem dry matter (DM) accumulation rates, nutritive value, and carbohydrate and protein fractionation. Treatments were tall (Iri 381 and Elefante B) or dwarf (Mott and Taiwan A-146 2.37) genotypes under rainfed or irrigated conditions. Taiwan A-146 2.37 (146 kg DM ha per day) showed similar herbage accumulation rate (HAR) to tall genotypes during the rainy season (124 and 150 kg DM/ha per day, respectively). Dwarf genotypes showed differences in leaf accumulation rate (LAR) (66 and 49 kg DM/ha per day). Mott leaf had less neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (589 g/kg DM) than Taiwan A-146 2.37 (598 g/kg DM), and tall genotypes had generally greater NDF (668 g/kg DM) than the dwarf genotypes. Irrigation increased fiber deposition in the leaf. Stems of all genotypes had lower in vitro digestible dry matter (IVDDM) (378 g/kg DM) under rainfed conditions in the rainy season. Leaf from irrigated plots had 23% more carbohydrate C fraction (160 g/kg CHO) than those from rainfed plots (122 g/kg CHO). Dwarf genotypes had generally greater nutritive value than tall genotypes. These genotypes show promise under irrigation to fill forage gaps during dry periods.