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Postharvest management strategies like cutting height and anaerobic fermentation may affect the microbial risk of vegetables. This study evaluated the effects of cutting height and storage length on the fermentation characteristics, microbial diversity, co-occurrence networks, potential functionality and pathogenic risk of sweet sorghum stem (SSS). Fresh SSS harvested at two cutting heights (15 cm, F 15 ; 45 cm, F 45) was spontaneously fermented (S 15 and S 45) for 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 days. Decreasing the cutting height of SSS increased the dry matter, water-soluble carbohydrate content as well as Acinetobacter (23.0% vs. 44.9%) and Klebsiella (1.84% vs. 6.58%) proportion but decreased the crude protein content (P < 0.05). After fermentation, both cutting heights presented desirable fermentation. Anaerobic fermentation promoted the Glycolysis pathway (0.009 vs. 0.018) and related enzymes (l -lactate dehydrogenase, etc.) associated with lactate synthesis, but suppressed the degradation pathways of valine, leucine, isoleucine (0.011 vs. 0.003) and lysine (0.008 vs. 0.002). In microbial phenotype analysis, although F 15 had higher proportions of 'Potentially Pathogenic' than F 45 , this undesirable phenotype declined to negligible levels via fermentation. These results concluded that, for SSS, concerns about the risk of microbial contamination and pathogens from low cutting height can be dispelled by well fermentation. • Microbial succession was studied from fresh to fermented sweet stalk. • Low cutting height increased the risk of pathogenic contamination. • Sequencing showed potential probiotics were dominant in all fermented materials. • Spontaneous fermentation dispelled microbial risk from low mowing heights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, sorghum meal underwent 2–10 kGy electron beam irradiation (EBI) to investigate alterations in its elemental composition, relevant physicochemical characteristics, and enzymatic hydrolysis fermentation properties. The results indicated a decrease in amylose content and an increase in reducing sugar content in sorghum meal after EBI, along with severe damage to the internal structure of starch granules, leading to increased solubility in water. Furthermore, irradiation enhanced the shear resistance and gelatinization stability of sorghum meal paste. Most importantly, EBI-induced degradation of sorghum starch molecules enhanced their susceptibility to interact with α-amylase, significantly improving the enzymatic hydrolysis and alcohol fermentation efficiency of sorghum meal. At an irradiation dose of 8 kGy, raw and cooked sorghum meal exhibited a 43.40% and 33.33% increase in ethanol concentration and a 43.44% and 30.29% increase in ethanol yield, respectively. This finding indicated that irradiation is an effective pretreatment method for starch-based ethanol fermentation. [Display omitted] • Using EBI as a pretreatment for sorghum meal ethanol fermentation. • Sorghum starch molecules degraded after EBI treatment. • EBI notably enhanced sorghum meal's enzymatic saccharification efficiency. • The ethanol concentration and yield peaked at an EBI dose of 8 kGy. • EBI coupled with high-temperature cooking notably improved fermentation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum, as a seasonal energy crop, is rich in cellulose and hemicellulose that can be converted into biofuels. This work aims at investigating the effects of synergistic regulation of Pichia anomala and cellulase on ensiling quality and microbial community of sweet sorghum silages as a storage and pretreatment method. Furthermore, the combined pretreatment effects of ensiling and ball milling on sweet sorghum were evaluated by microstructure change and enzymatic hydrolysis. Based on membership function analysis, the combination of P. anomala and cellulase (PA + CE) significantly improved the silage quality by preserving organic components and promoting fermentation characteristics. The bioaugmented ensiling with PA + CE restructured the bacterial community by facilitating Lactobacillus and inhibiting undesired microorganisms by killer activity of P. anomala. The combined bioaugmented ensiling pretreatment with ball milling significantly increased the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency (EHE) to 71%, accompanied by the increased specific surface area and decreased pore size/crystallinity of sweet sorghum. Moreover, the EHE after combined pretreatment was increased by 1.37 times compared with raw material. Hence, the combined pretreatment was demonstrated as a novel strategy to effectively enhance enzymatic hydrolysis of sweet sorghum. [Display omitted] • Combination of P. anomala and cellulase enhanced silage quality of sweet sorghum. • Bioaugmented ensiling with P. anomala & cellulase reconstructed bacterial community. • Synergetic effects of P. anomala & cellulase enhanced biodegradability of sweet sorghum silage. • Ensiling & ball milling increased specific surface area and decreased pore size/crystallinity. • Ball milling further enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis of ensiled sweet sorghum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stirred tank bioreactor coupled with column bioreactor was used. • Fermentation was done under very high gravity condition (250 g/L of total sugar). • Medium circulation rate between both bioreactors affected ethanol production. • Repeated-batch fermentation using this system enhanced fermentation efficiency. A stirred tank bioreactor (STR) coupled with two column bioreactors (CRs) was used for ethanol production from sweet sorghum stem juice by Saccharomyces cerevisiae SSJ01KKU in a very high gravity fermentation. The effects of the medium circulation rate between the STR and CRs (2.6 and 5.2 mL/min, corresponding to 25 and 50 % of the S. cerevisiae specific growth rate), the starting time of medium circulation (0 and 4 h) and cell inoculation were investigated. The results showed that a medium circulation rate of 5.2 mL/min, starting the medium circulation at the beginning of fermentation (0 h) with cell inoculation into the STR only were appropriate conditions for ethanol production. This yielded an average ethanol concentration (P E) of 120.96 g/L and ethanol productivity (Q P) of 2.52 g/L⋅h. When a repeated-batch (RB) ethanol fermentation in the STR coupled with CR was carried out using a drain and fill technique at different volumes (75 and 90 %, referenced as RB1 and RB2, respectively), it was found that at least eight successive cycles could be operated under both RB1 and RB2. The average P E and Q P for RB1 and RB2 were not significantly different. However, the average total ethanol production rate in RB2 (3.25 g/h) over the eight cycles was significantly higher than that of RB1 (2.60 g/h). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum has potential for phytoextraction of cadmium (Cd) owning to its large biomass and relatively high Cd tolerance. Nitrogen affects both growth and Cd concentrations in plants. However, different forms of nitrogen effects on Cd accumulation in sweet sorghum to improve efficiency of Cd phytoremediation is still elusive. In this study, nitrate substantially promoted both dry weight and Cd concentrations in leaves, stems + sheaths and roots of sweet sorghum when compared with ammonium. As a result, Cd accumulation in nitrate-supplied sweet sorghum was around 3.7-fold of that in ammonium-supplied plants under unbuffered pH condition, while the fold was about 2.2 under buffered pH condition. We speculated pH values and Cd species in the growth medium to some extent contributed to increased Cd accumulation as affected by nitrate. Net photosynthesis rate and Fv/Fm of nitrate-treated plants under Cd stress were higher than that of ammonium-treated plants when the pH was unbuffered. Responses of antioxidant capacity in roots to Cd stress with nitrate application were stronger than that with ammonium supplementation. Taken together, nitrate is more suitable than ammonium for Cd phytoextraction by using sweet sorghum, which is able to enhance at least double efficiency of phytoextraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energetic state of water in the soil-plant system is a relevant theme in ecosystems affected by abiotic stress. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the water potential in soil and in sorghum grown in Fluvisol irrigated with water of increasing electrical conductivity and different ionic compositions. Solutions were prepared with different ionic compositions (NaCl and a salt mix) and with six increasing levels of electrical conductivity (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 dS m−1), with a randomized block design and 4 repetitions. The leaf water potential and leaf osmotic potential were determined 60 days after sowing. The soil osmotic potential was measured by saturation paste and the matric potential was estimated by the soil water retention curve. The increase in electrical conductivity, regardless of the type of saline solution applied, causes interference in the energy status of the water in the soil, especially concerning the osmotic potential. The type of salt exerts an influence on the water potential in the soil. In contrast, the salt type does not influence the potentials of water in the plant. It is not recommended adopting the same values of water total potential for the soil determined in sorghum at night. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Univ., Urumqi, China Zakeri, Hossein, California State Univ. Chico College of Agriculture, Chico, CA, USA Zandi, Peiman, Beijing, China Zemetra, Robert, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR, USA Zencirci, Nusret, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal Univ. Zeng, Linghe, USDA-ARS, Stoneville, MS, USA Zhang, Xiaofei, CIAT, Cali, Colombia Zhang, Bo, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA Zhang, Hong, Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX, USA Zhang, Hongsheng, Nanjing, China Zhang, Tantan, Guangzhou, China Zhang, Qi, North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND, USA Zhang, Xiaofei Zhang, Xiying, Shijiazhuang, China Zhang, Zichang, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences Zhang, Fantao, Nanchang, China Zhang, Fucang, Yangling, China Zhang, Guoping, Hangzhou, China Zhang, Lizhen, China Agricultural Univ., Beijing, China Zhang, Zuxin Zhao, Yan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Zheng, Junlin, Shenyang Agricultural Univ., Shenyang, Liaoning, China Zheng, Tian-Qing, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China Zhou, Marvellous, South African Sugarcane Research Inst., Mount Edgecombe, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Zhou, Peng, St Paul, USA Zilli, Alex, Univ. Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes, Corrientes, Argentina Zuther, Ellen, Max Planck Inst. Mol. College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Pandey, Avinash, Jawaharlal Nehru Agriculture Univ., Jabalpur, India Pantalone, Vincent, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA Parent, Serge-Etienne, Laval Univ., Quebec, Canada Park, Bradley, Rutgers, The State Univ. of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA Pasala, Ratnakumar, ICAR-National Inst. of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati, Maharastra, India Passioura, J.B., CSIRO Plant Ind. Patto Ramalho, Magno, Univ. [Extracted from the article]

The objective of the study, carried out in the period 2018-2020, aimed at the influence of the harvest season on the components involved in the production of biomass obtained from sweet sorghum grown in sandy soils in southern Oltenia. The obtained results showed a maximum of the total biomass production of 80.62 t / ha, obtained when harvesting the sweet sorghum in the milk wax grain phase. Among the components of the total biomass production, the highest percentage was represented by the stems, respectively 71.2-80.5 %, depending on the harvest season. The percentage of sugar, extracted from the stem, was positively correlated with the dry matter and negatively with the leaf surface index, which recorded the maximum value (19.2%) by harvesting the sugar sorghum in the physiological maturity phase of the grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A continuous long-term field experiment (2008-2018) was conducted in Xinjiang, north-western China, to assess the impact of farmyard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilisers on the sustainable biomass yield of sweet sorghum cultivar (Xingaoliang No. 3) and soil chemical properties. Seven treatments, associated with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), FYM, and their different combination, were compared with the control plot (CK). As a result, the treatments NP, PK, NK, NPK and NPKM significantly increased the average biomass yields by 30-48% over CK. The 12 t/ha FYM per year with NPK (NPKM) increased both the yield and total soluble solids (TSS) by 48% and 7.9%, respectively, while the 18 t/ha/year application rate of FYM had an adverse effect on yield. Stem TSS, soil available N and K for all treatments decreased while soil organic carbon, soil total salt and the available P for FYM applied treatments increased over the years. The soil pH stabilised at 7.8-8.2 at the end. In conclusion, the 12 t/ha/year of FYM is the most efficient rate for a single application or incorporation with inorganic fertilisers. A more reasonable application rate of N and K fertiliser to increase the yield and irrigation rate to reduce soil salt needs for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the effects of a heterofermentative microbial inoculant and storage length on fermentation profile, aerobic stability, and nutrient composition in whole-plant sorghum silage (WPSS) from different varieties. Experiment 1, a completely randomized design with a 2 × 3 factorial treatment arrangement, evaluated microbial inoculation [CON (50 mL distilled water) or LBLD (Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 21762, L. buchneri DSM 12856, and L. diolivorans DSM 32074; 300,000 CFU/g of fresh forage)] and storage length (14, 28, or 56 d) in forage WPSS. The LBLD silage had lower pH compared to CON, and greater concentrations of succinic acid, ethanol, 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD), 1-propanol, 2,3-butanediol and total acids. After 56 d, lactic acid concentration was greater for CON, while acetic acid and aerobic stability were greater in LBLD silage. Experiment 2, a completely randomized design with a 2 × 3 factorial treatment arrangement, evaluated effects of microbial inoculation (same as experiment 1) and storage length (14, 28, or 56 d) in WPSS of three varieties [forage sorghum (Mojo Seed, OPAL, Hereford, TX), sorghum-sudangrass (Dyna-gro Seed, Fullgraze II, Loveland, CO, United States), or sweet sorghum (MAFES Foundation Seed Stocks, Dale, MS State, MS)]. The LBLD forage sorghum had greater acetic acid and 1,2-PD concentrations at 56 d and 28 d, respectively, but lower concentrations of propionic acid at 56 d and butyric acid at 14 and 28 d. Additionally, WSC concentration was greater for CON than LBLD at 28 d. Furthermore, CON sweet sorghum had greater lactic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid concentrations. However, greater acetic acid and 1,2-PD were observed for LBLD sweet sorghum. The CON sweet sorghum had greater concentration of WSC and yeast counts. The CON sorghum sudangrass had greater lactic and butyric acid concentrations than LBLD at 14 d, but lower acetic acid and 1,2-PD concentrations at 56 d. Yeast counts were greater for CON than LBLD sorghum sudangrass silage. Overall, results indicate inoculation of WPSS with Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 21762, L. buchneri DSM 12856, and L. diolivorans DSM 32074 improves heterofermentative co-fermentation allowing the accumulation of acetic acid concentration and increasing antifungal capacities and aerobic stability of WPSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The purpose of research is to establish patterns for removal of macromolecular and color compounds, using different methods of purification sugar sorghum juice to obtain food syrup. Materials and methods. Sugar sorghum hybrid ‘Mamont’ was used as a feedstock for food syrup. Native sorghum juice was subjected to enzymatic treatment to hydrolyze starch. For extraction of sugar-soluble non-sugars from sorghum juice, including macromolecular substances (MMS) and dyes, the cationic flocculant polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PGMG GC) and natural mineral sorbent zeolite were used. Membrane filtration methods and ion exchange purification were used to intensify the purification process. Results and discussion. Due to the use of zeolite at an optimal cost of 0.8–1.0% by weight of the juice, the discoloration effect is achieved at the level of 41–46%, and the effect of removal of the MMS by 20–22%. The use of zeolite for purification of sorghum juice in combination with membrane filtration methods, such as mechanical filtration and ultrafiltration leads to improved technological performance of sorghum juice. Under these purification conditions, sugar sorghum juice with a purity of 90.72% and a colour of 245.8 ICUMSA units was obtained, and the efficiency of purification, removal MMS and proteins substances was 46.1, 82.3 and 69.5%, respectively. Under the conditions of supplementing the above-method with ion exchange purification, we obtained an increase in the efficiency of purification, removal of the MMS and proteins in accordance with the values of 51.9, 98.5 and 89.2%. Proposed methods of purification of sugar sorghum juice are effective in removing MMS, proteins and colored compounds and provide food syrups in which the optimal ratio of carbohydrates sucrose and glucose and fructose (65:35) % by weight of total sugar. Conclusions. The best quality indicators were syrups obtained by purification methods, which included the use of adsorption purification with zeolite, membrane filtration and ion exchange purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorghum stem bagasse waste is one of the materials with high cellulose content. It can be utilized in glucose production through enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by Trichoderma viride. This study aims to determine sorghum stem bagasse's potential in producing glucose, assessing the time and concentration of sorghum stem bagasse in the hydrolysis process to produce glucose optimally and following SNI. Hydrolysis was carried out using a concentration of 5%, 8%, and 11% sorghum stem bagasse for 10, 15, and 20 days. The results showed that sorghum stem bagasse waste could produce glucose with an average glucose yield of 10.09% to 24.40 %. There is a tendency that increasing substrate concentration and hydrolysis time will increase the yield of liquid glucose. The treatment of 5% concentration of sorghum stem bagasse with a long hydrolysis time of 10 days can produce the highest liquid glucose, namely 24.40% with total dissolved solids of 7.40% Brix, the ash content of 0.26%, but 47.54% water content has not met SNI standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplementing cultivation media with exogenous carbon sources enhances biomass and lipid production in microalgae. Utilization of renewable organic carbon from agricultural residues can potentially reduce the cost of algae cultivation, while enhancing sustainability. In the present investigation a medium was developed from sweet sorghum bagasse for cultivation of Chlorella under mixotrophic conditions. Using response surface methodology, the optimal values of critical process parameters were determined, namely inoculum cell density (O.D.750) of 0.786, SSB hydrolysate content of the medium 25% v/v, and zero medium salinity, to achieve maximum lipid productivity of 120 mg/L/d. Enhanced biomass (3.44 g/L) and lipid content (40% of dry cell weight) were observed when the alga was cultivated in SSB hydrolysate under mixotrophic conditions compared to heterotrophic and photoautotrophic conditions. A time course investigation revealed distinct physiological responses in terms of cellular growth and biochemical composition of C. vulgaris cultivated in the various trophic modes. The determined carbohydrate and lipid profiles indicate that sugar addition to the cultivation medium boosts neutral lipid synthesis compared to structural lipids, suggesting that carbon flux is channeled towards triacylglycerol synthesis in the cells. Furthermore, the fatty acid profile of lipids extracted from mixotrophically grown cultures contained more saturated and monosaturated fatty acids, which are suitable for biofuel manufacturing. Scale-up studies in a photobioreactor using SSB hydrolysate achieved a biomass concentration of 2.83 g/L consisting of 34% lipids and 26% carbohydrates. These results confirmed that SSB hydrolysate is a promising feedstock for mixotrophic cultivation of Chlorella and synthesis of algal bioproducts and biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressing the biomass of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet in-field is one of the suggested options for bioethanol production. The extracted juice can be delivered to an ethanol plant, and the bagasse (pressing residue) can be used for ruminant feeding. Efficient carbohydrate extraction is highly important for good ethanol yield. However, enough carbohydrates must remain in the bagasse for its adequate conservation as silage. In this study, the ensilability and the chemical composition of the second pressing bagasse of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet were investigated. The bagasse was obtained following a second pressing of the first pressing bagasse after its impregnation with water based on three water: bagasse ratios (0.5, 1, and 1.5). Results indicated that water:bagasse ratio did not affect water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) extraction for both crops. The second pressing bagasse of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet contained 80.5 ±4.6 and 60 ±4.6 g of WSC kg-1 dry matter (DM), respectively. The second pressing bagasse of both crops had reduced nutritive value compared to the initial biomass, i.e., higher neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentrations along with lower non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentration, in vitro true digestibility of DM (IVTD), and in vitro NDF digestibility (NDFd). The second pressing bagasses of both crops also showed good ensilability, but sweet sorghum bagasse silages were of better nutritive value than sweet pearl millet bagasse silages (ADF = 446.2 ±3.7 vs. 463.2 ±3.7 g kg-1 DM, IVTD = 813.8 ±3.4 vs. 708.8 ±6.8 g kg-1 DM, and NDFd = 741.8 ±4.8 vs. 596.2 ±8.5 g kg-1 NDF, respectively). The water:bagasse ratio used for bagasse impregnation before the second pressing only affected the NDF concentration of silages, as a higher NDF concentration was obtained with a water:bagasse ratio of 1.5. Sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet can be considered dual-purpose crops; the extracted juice can be fermented into ethanol, and the second pressing bagasse can be used to make good-quality silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) is a crop that is well known for its high production of biomass and sugars in the stem juice. The objective of this work was to evaluate the productivity of sweet sorghum 'Roger' based on the dynamics of sugar production and dry biomass by considering different production methods and plant phenological stages. The experimental design consisted of different tillage and fertilization methods established in a randomized complete block design with a split plot arrangement. Tillage treatments were assigned to the plot using the three levels of minimum tillage, traditional tillage, and traditional tillage that included a subsoil operation. Fertilization treatments were assigned to the subplot using the three levels of organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, and without fertilizer. Data collection was performed at different plant phenological stages from anthesis to physiological maturity. Results showed that evaluated agronomic parameters depended on the phenological stage (P < 0.05) rather than the production methods (P > 0.05). Thus, the distribution and accumulation of sugar by stem internodes was associated with plant phenological components. The highest values of the concentration of total soluble solids (14.89%), juice sugar content (22.91 g), juice sugar concentration (527.46 mg g-1 DW), dry biomass (60.04%), and dry biomass yield (19.01 t ha-1) were observed at the physiological maturity stage of the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum is a variety of promising energy crops with high sugar content, rapid growth rate, and strong resistance to saline-alkaline soils. Appropriate storage is highly required to utilize this feedstock for continuous bioenergy production, particularly harvested in a seasonal manner in China. In this study, the addition of rumen fluid was introduced to sweet sorghum for better ensiling quality during long-term (30 to 60 days) storage. A systematic investigation was made on the ensiling profile, including the organic components, fermentation quality, and enzymatic hydrolysis of sweet sorghum silage. Furthermore, an experimental analysis was performed on the dynamic process of microbial community during ensiling. The sweet sorghum was ensiled at 5 different dosages of rumen fluid: CK, silage without the addition of additive; R1, silage with rumen fluid at 1 mL/100 g fresh substrate; R3 at 3 mL/100 g; R5, 5 mL/100 g; R7 at 7 mL/100 g. The results showed that the contents of dry matter (DM), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), crude protein (CP), and ammonia nitrogen (AN) decreased significantly, as both ensiling time and dosage increased in four treatments with the addition of rumen fluid, compared with the CK silages without rumen fluid. The increased rumen fluid and prolonged ensiling contributed to reducing the content of acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), cellulose, and hemicellulose, while elevating the abundance of beneficial Lactobacillus in silages. Lignin in silages at ensiled for 60 days was effectively removed when the maximum dosage of rumen fluid was up to 7 g/100 g. There was a significant decrease in the contents of lactic acid and acetic acid, as well as the pH values in five treatments (CK, R1, R3, R5, R7), with the extension of the ensiling period (P<0.05). The contents of lactic acid and acetic acid in R7 and R5 were higher than those of treatments after 60 days, which were 9.42 g/kg (R7) and 29.08 g/kg (R5), respectively. The dominant phylum in CK silages was still Proteobacteria after ensiling, where the relative abundance was up to 96.1% and 81.2% after 30 and 60 days, respectively. However, the bacterial communities changed significantly, due to the fact the bioaugmentation of rumen fluid resulted in the coexistence of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes in bioaugmented silages. After bioaugmented ensiling for 30 days, Lactobacillus and Acetobacter became enriched in the range of 18.2-46.2% and 3.61-18.0%, respectively, as the dosage of rumen fluid increased. After 60 days of ensiling, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus increased from 45.2 (R1) to 81.1% (R7) with the increase of rumen fluid dosage. The addition of rumen fluid also enhanced the reducing sugar yield during enzymatic saccharification for 72 h. Specifically, the yields of reducing sugars in all treatments at 30 days significantly increased by 26% (CK), 30% (R1), 34% (R3), 40% (R5), and 44% (R7), respectively, compared with the raw sweet sorghum. The bioaugmented ensiling improved substantially the yield of reducing sugars, compared with the CK silages, indicating a positive correlation to the dosage of rumen fluid. It was also found that the 72 h reducing sugars yields of all silages at 60 days were significantly higher than those at 30 days. The R7 silage achieved the highest reducing sugars yield of 795.4 mg/g after 60 days of silage, indicating a linear correlation to the high biodegradation potential. The addition of rumen fluid can effectively improve the ensiling quality and biodegradability of ensiled sweet sorghum, thereby serving as biological pretreatment via bioaugmentation. This finding can provide the promising ethanol utilization of sweet sorghum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivation of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) for bioethanol production is receiving global attention due to the plant's sugar‐rich stalk juice, which can be fermented directly to ethanol. One of the important steps toward the development of a superior sweet sorghum cultivar is proper assessment of bioethanol‐related traits in different environments. This study was conducted to characterize global sweet sorghum accessions for bioethanol yield and related traits. To do this and to obtain a final cultivar suitable for efficient bioethanol production, two different environments were chosen to select for the characteristics studied. In total, 53 genotypes, which were selected from 551 accessions and nine cultivars, were evaluated in two contrasting environments and two consecutive years (2014–2015). The results revealed wide variability among the genotypes for the traits investigated. In all the growing years and locations, the highest values for the extractable stalk juice yield, bioethanol yield, and juice Brix content were recorded for BSS55 (22 740 L ha−1), BSS46 (1569.6 L ha−1), and BSS67 (15.63 °Bx), respectively. The genotypes that originated from the USA showed some of the highest values for bioethanol yield and related traits. Positive and very high correlations were observed between the bioethanol yield and extractable stalk juice yield (r = 0.861**) and fructose and glucose concentration (r = 0.856**). The knowledge obtained in this investigation about the variation in the bioethanol yield and related traits led to potential genotypes that can be used in sweet sorghum breeding programs for bioenergy production. © 2020 Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoremediation is a green, simple, eco-friendly, sustainable, and cost-effective remediation technology to remove and degrade contaminants from soil. In this study, a germination experiment and a pot experiment were performed in greenhouse to evaluate cadmium toxicity and phytoremediation capacity. The results showed that there was the highest membership function value of cadmium (MFVC) in KFJT-3 than that of KFJT-CK and KFJT-1, the value being 0.473, 0.456 and 0.413, respectively. Furthermore, the highest biomass was discovered in KFJT-3 compared to the other genotypes under 50 mg/kg cadmium stress. Physiological analysis showed that proline content significantly increased in KFJT-3, the value being 31.88%. In addition, Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) and Translocation factor (TF) value were 3.80 and 1.02 for KFJT-3, respectively. In conclusion, BAF and TF values showed that the cadmium tolerance of KFJT-1 and KFJT-3 could be higher than that of KFJT-CK, which could be the genotype for phytoremediation of cadmium contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research was carried out at the station of the del Instituto de Investigaciones de la Caña de Azúcar (INICA Villa Clara), located in the municipality of Ranchuelo, Villa Clara province, and its objective was to determine the most efficient management of the planting and harvesting times of the energy sugarcane cultivar ‘C90-176’, as raw material for bioelectricity in Cuba. Twenty-five treatments combining five planting dates and five possible harvesting dates of the cultivar were evaluated. The highest biomass production was obtained in the treatments planted from April to June and harvested in September and October at 16 and 17 months of age. Energy sugarcane can be harvested throughout the year for multipurpose use: obtaining bagasse for electricity generation, obtaining juice or honeys for animal feed and alcohol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioethanol produced from renewable resource has potential to solve environmental pollution and to satisfy the need of demand and supply. It favours the use of nonfood lignocellulosic materials. Ethanol produced from plant materials can sustain the economy by reducing cost of imported petroleum, emitting neutral CO2. Moreover, it enhances the economy by providing value added market opportunities for transportation and agricultural sector. Therefore, the objective of the study was to investigate bioethanol production from stalk residues of Chiquere and Gebabe varieties of sweet sorghum collected from West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. Response surface methods with a three factor (inoculum size, pH, and dilution rate) with triplicate run by using the Box–Behnken method was referred. The experiment employed dilute acid hydrolysis, because it is an easy and productive process by treating the stalks with 4% of sulfuric acid for effective hydrolysis of substrate. Finally, the fermentation was carried out at 30°C for 72 hours on a shaker at 180 rpm by using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The significance of the result was evaluated by using ANOVA, where P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. In the process, maximum yield of ethanol was obtained at an inoculum size of 5% (22.40%), pH level of 4.0 (21%), and dilution rate at 10 ml (21.46%). Very low yeast inoculum size and dilution factor have positive effect on the yield of ethanol, whereas very high dilution rate produced negative impact on ethanol production. FTIR spectroscopy peaks associated with O-H, C-O, and C-H stretching vibrations confirmed the presence of ethanol obtained from sweet sorghum stalks. The results of our study indicated that, being available in bulky amounts and nonedible material, sweet sorghum stalks can serve as potential feedstock for bioethanol production in developing countries such as Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethanol production has key differences between the two largest producing countries of this biofuel, Brazil and the USA, such as feedstock source, sugar concentration and ethanol titers in industrial fermentation. Therefore, it is highly probable that these specificities have led to genome adaptation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains employed in each process to tolerate different environments. In order to identify particular adaptations, in this work, we have compared the genomes of industrial yeast strains widely used to produce ethanol from sugarcane, corn and sweet sorghum, and also two laboratory strains as reference. The genes were predicted and then 4524 single-copy orthologous were selected to build the phylogenetic tree. We found that the geographic location and industrial process were shown as the main evolutionary drivers: for sugarcane fermentation, positive selection was identified for metal homeostasis and stress response genes, whereas genes involved in membrane modeling have been connected with corn fermentation. In addition, the corn specialized strain Ethanol Red showed an increased number of copies of MAL31, a gene encoding a maltose transporter. In summary, our work can help to guide new strain chassis selection for engineering strategies, to produce more robust strains for biofuel production and other industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper evaluates the accumulation of selected risk elements in soils and biological tissues caused by railway transport. Samples of soil, pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) bark and needles, hoof fungus (Fomes fomentarius L.) and red-stemmed feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi L.) were analyzed for the content of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. The samples were collected in five sites (A, B, C, D, E each separated by 500 m) covering a combined distance of around 2 km along railway tracks (Central Poland). The geo-accumulation index (Igeo), single pollution index (PI), contamination factor (Cf), degree of contamination (Cdeg), potential ecological risk (RI), and the probability of toxicity (MERMQ) index were calculated to determine soil pollution with risk elements. Soil toxicity was assessed with the Phytotoxkit biotest which measures the inhibition of seed germination and root growth in Sorghum saccharatum L. The calculated indices and the results of the phytotoxicity biotest revealed the highest levels of contamination in the proximity of a road overpass (site D). The accumulation of risk elements in soil was strongly correlated with pollutant levels in biological tissues. Zinc was the most abundant element in biological tissues, especially in pine bark and feathermoss. Soil pollution indices, biotest results, and plant and fungus bioindicators play an important role in environmental assessments of railway transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of new agricultural technologies to attain sustainable production systems is necessary. The use of plant growth-promoting bacteria to improve plant growth and health has been studied for decades. This work aimed to isolate diazotrophic endophytic bacteria associated with sweet sorghum plants and study the interaction of their inoculation in combination with chemical N-fertilization on different sorghum cultivars. A bacterial collection of 181 isolates was constructed and characterized in vitro and in vivo. From that, the strains Enterobacter sp. UYSB89 and Kosakonia sp. UYSB139 were nifH +, produce IAA, defined as true endophytes and able to promote growth of two sweet sorghum under greenhouse conditions. The evaluated cultivars responded differentially to bacterial inoculation, the nitrogen fertilization doses and their interaction. Thus, plant growth is a multifactorial consequence of the interrelation between crop practices and the plant genotypes. This knowledge is a valuable factor in terms of understanding plant–bacteria endophyte interactions to preserve environmental sustainability during the implementation of agronomic practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner is a new pest of sweet sorghum in the United States, with the potential to cause complete crop failure. In Kentucky, sweet sorghum is normally planted in early May and harvested in late August or September. Planting sweet sorghum earlier in the season may avoid damaging levels of M. sacchari that develop in late summer. In a 2-yr field study, three different planting dates separated by a month (April, May, and June) were tested for their effect on M. sacchari densities and sweet sorghum yield. April (early) planted sweet sorghum was grown in greenhouses and transplanted to the field. May (mid) and June (late) planted sweet sorghum were direct seeded in the field. Melanaphis sacchari population densities were evaluated weekly starting in June. Sweet sorghum was harvested at the onset of the hard dough stage. Plots were split into two subplots, insecticide or noninsecticide, in the second year to control for planting date effect on yield. Early-planted sweet sorghum had lower aphid densities, but had lower yield relative to mid-planting date, which had the highest yield. Insecticide drenches in 2019 reduced cumulative aphid days in mid-plantings and late plantings, but did not significantly affect yield within planting dates. Seeding sweet sorghum earlier can reduce M. sacchari densities; however, this method alone may not provide the highest yields. We documented that the recommended planting date (May) for Kentucky produced the highest yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the bioactive content of sweet sorghum syrups compared to other common food‐grade syrups will expand their utilisation as a food source. Total phenolic content (TPC), phenolics evaluated by high‐performance liquid chromatography, antioxidant 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), as well as colour of high‐fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn, honey, maple, agave, rice and grain sorghum syrups, were compared to 10 commercial sweet sorghum syrups. RESULTS: Sweet sorghum syrups contained markedly higher (P ≤ 0.05) TPC (6471 ± 1823 mg L−1) compared to the other syrups (596 ± 497 mg L−1). HFCS, corn, white grain sorghum and rice syrups had negligible and low DPPH radical scavenging activities and ORAC values, respectively. DPPH activities, ORAC and colour values of the sweet sorghum syrups were also markedly (P ≤ 0.05) higher than other syrups and highly related. The predominant phenolic components identified in sweet sorghum syrups were phenolic acids. Ellagic acid and protocatechuic acid were found in sorghum syrups ranging in concentration from 335–1177 and 53–485 μg g−1, respectively. Sinapic acid was detected in several sorghum syrups, ranging in concentrations between 21 and 3654 μg g−1. CONCLUSION: HFCS, corn, white grain sorghum and rice syrups demonstrated low bioactivity with negligible and low DPPH activities and ORAC values, respectively. The TPC, DPPH, ORAC and colour values of the sweet sorghum syrups were related to each other and markedly (P ≤ 0.05) higher compared to the other syrups. Phenolic acids were the predominant phenolic compounds identified in sorghum syrups and represent potential for health benefits. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cadmium (Cd)‐polluted soils are is an increasing concern worldwide. Phytoextraction of Cd pollutants by high biomass plants, such as sweet sorghum, is considered an environmentally‐friendly, cost‐effective and sustainable strategy for remediating this problem. Nitrogen (N) is a macronutrient essential for plant growth, development and stress resistance. Nevertheless, how nitrate, as an important form of N, affects Cd uptake, translocation and accumulation in sweet sorghum is still unclear.In the present study, a series of nitrate levels (N1, 0.5 mm; N2, 2 mm; N3, 4 mm; N4, 8 mm and N5, 16 mm) with or without added 5 μm CdCl2 treatment in sweet sorghum was investigated hydroponically.The results indicate that Cd accumulation in the aboveground parts of sweet sorghum was enhanced by optimum nitrate supply, resulting from both increased dry weight and Cd concentration. Although root‐to‐shoot Cd translocation was not enhanced by increased nitrate, some Cd was transferred from cell walls to vacuoles in leaves. Intriguingly, expression levels of Cd uptake and transport genes, SbNramp1, SbNramp5 and SbHMA3, were not closely related to increased Cd as affected by nitrate supply. The expression of SbNRT1.1B in relation to nitrate transport showed an inverted 'U' shape with increasing nitrate levels under Cd stress, which was in agreement with trends in Cd concentration changes in aboveground tissues.Based on the aforementioned results, nitrate might regulate Cd uptake and accumulation through expression of SbNRT1.1B rather than SbNramp1, SbNramp5 or SbHMA3, the well‐documented genes related to Cd uptake and transport in sweet sorghum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorghum's biological potential can be exploited to formulate healthy foods. The objective of this work was to optimize the germination process of sorghum to maximize the content of free phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. According to the response surface methodology, the maximum content of total phenols and ferulic acid was obtained at 35°C and 28 h of germination, while the optimal antioxidant activity was obtained at 33.6°C and 28 h and 27.4°C 28 h measured as DPPH and TEAC respectively. The porridges obtained from germinated sorghum flours showed a higher content of total phenols and antioxidant activity compared to non-germinated ones. Porridges formulated with germinated sorghum flour showed an increase of 12% as compared with porridge formulated with flour non-germinated sorghum. Ferulic acid showed a significant reduction in both evaluated porridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

General combining ability (GCA) referencing additive genetic effects and specific combining ability (SCA) referencing nonadditive effects have been applied for decades in maize (Zea mays L.) breeding and other crops to produce greater genetic gains in crop breeding. This study examined the magnitude of GCA and SCA for cane yield and evaluated potential for application in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) breeding. Data were collected from unselected first‐stage breeding populations sourced from the irrigated, midlands (high‐altitude), and coastal breeding programs of the South African Sugarcane Research Institute. Cane yield data calculated from number of stalks, stalk height, and stalk diameter was analyzed using best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) analysis where female and male effects (GCA) and female × male interaction effects (SCA) were defined as random effects. There were significant (P <.05) female but nonsignificant male effects. Female × male interaction was highly significant (P <.001) and larger than both female and male effects, indicating higher SCA than GCA. Specific combining ability variance was 24% (midlands), 31% (coastal), and 57% (irrigated) higher than GCA. Genotypes with low GCA produced higher SCA. Crosses from parents originating from different breeding backgrounds produced higher SCA than those from the same backgrounds. Crosses with significant SCA produced 24–42% greater cane yield than those with nonsignificant SCA. Using GCA to develop parents with high breeding values and SCA to evaluate parent cross combinations will maximize exploitation of heterosis in sugarcane breeding. The results suggest the possibility to develop heterotic groups that are diverse and complementary as a strategy to optimize utilization of SCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the catalytic effect of on the pyrolysis of sorghum leaves and stalks was evaluated in the temperature range of 20 to 800 °C at three heating rates using thermogravimetric analysis coupled to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR). The results were adjusted with the nthorder reaction model, the isoconversional method, and the distributed activation energy model (DAEM). The latter model fits properly with three pseudo components to the first derivative thermogravimetry curves. The kinetic parameters calculated for the activation energy and pre-exponential factor are in the range of 159 to 195 kJ/mol, and 5.16E+13 to 5.13E+14 s-1, respectively. The analysis of the IR spectra allowed us to identify compounds such as, CO2, H2O, CH4, CO, HCN, C4H4O, HCOOH, and CH3COOH as the gases evolved during thermal decomposition. Moreover, the thermogravimetric curves show that the addition of sodium carbonate as a catalyst decreases the peak temperatures of the pyrolysis process of sorghum residues, and reduces the activation energy associated with the lignin and hemicellulose pyrolysis processes of the sorghum leaves and stems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of endophytic bacteria to the wellbeing of plants as biocontrol agents may be due to endophytic bacteria growing in the same niche as phytopathogens. This work was conducted to study the antagonistic activity of endophytic bacteria recovered from sweet sorghum against Sclerotium rolfsii, Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in vitro and evaluate the mechanisms of these fungal inhibitions. We selected 78 endophytic bacteria from the stem and root of sweet sorghum plants. They were tested for antagonist activity by direct confrontation method. Antifungal compound production and lytic enzyme activity were examined to determine their mechanisms in inhibiting fungal pathogens. Antifungal compound production was checked by detecting the presence of NRPS and PKS genes. Lytic enzyme activity of the bacteria was evaluated by their ability to produce cellulase, chitinase, and protease. Selected bacteria were identified using molecular analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene. 14 out of the 78 tested isolates showed antagonistic activity and two were able to inhibit all four tested fungal strains. Four bacteria, designated as ACIL1, ACNM4, ACNM6, and ATNM4, produced natural products via NRPS pathway, but only one bacterial extract, designated as ACNM4, showed fungal inhibition. Ten isolates were able to produce hydrolytic enzymes. Endophytic bacteria identified as Burkholderia were revealed to have potential as a biocontrol agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum (SS) is one of the varieties of sorghum having stalks with high sugar content and is grown primarily for forage, silage and syrup production. SS syrup is a high antioxidant food material produced by concentrating its sugary juice. SS has been mostly used in India for ethanol production, but demand for its syrup is growing. This article discusses R&D on SS syrup in India and highlights the challenges that need to be overcome to meet the growing demand. The challenges in improving crop productivity and syrup processing are also outlined. A simple economic analysis of small-scale SS syrup plant shows that producing syrup is economical both for farmers and syrup-producing units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to use the major part of carbohydrate fractions in enzymatic hydrolysate of sweet sorghum bagasse, acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation was performed following the ethanol fermentation of hexoses. In batch ethanol fermentation stage, 50.8 ± 3.2 g/L of ethanol was produced from 111.5 g/L of glucose in hydrolysate. After ethanol recovery by batch vacuum distillation, 123.6 ± 15.6 g/L of ethanol was obtained in the distillate, while 47.2 ± 2.5 g/L of xylose was remained in the fermentation broth. The ethanol-free broth was further used as the substrate for ABE fermentation. Compared with yeast remaining scenario, the cell-free ethanol fermentation broth showed a better performance in ABE production. 7.37 ± 0.33 g/L of butanol and 10.93 ± 0.54 g/L of ABE solvent were produced after 120 h of batch fermentation. Based on the biorefinery strategy that cascade two-types of fermentation process, the overall solvents yield boosted significantly, about 144.8 g of ethanol, 17.3 g of butanol and 4.8 g of acetone can be produced from 1 kg sweet sorghum bagasse. • High concentration of sugar was obtained by fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated pulp. • Ethanol was recovered by vacuum distillation after batch fermentation of enzymatic hydrolysate. • The ethanol removal broth was used as the substrate of ABE fermentation. • About 144.8 g of ethanol, 17.3 g of butanol and 4.8 g of acetone per 1 kg of raw material was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to determine some agricultural and technological characteristics of six varieties of sweet sorghums (Dale, M81-E, PHS 12-10, Urja, Top 76-6, Theis) as the second crop at the Talat Demiroren research station of the GAP Agricultural Research Institute in 2016-2017 years. The trial was set up in a randomized blocks trial design with four replications, parcels were arranged in five rows which are inter rows 70 cm and intra rows 20 cm. According to the research results; the main stem diameters of the cultivars ranged between 22.53-28.83 mm, green herbage yield per decare 10 633-16 172 kg, leafless stem yield per decare 9 117-13 413 kg. Among the technological properties, the dry matter ratio varied between 19.1-26.1%, sap yield, sugar yield and bioethanol yield ranged between 3 658-5 163 l da-1, 394-928 kg da-1 and 160-237 l da-1, respectively. According to the research results, when different uses of sweet sorghum varieties are aimed; In terms of green grass yield, sap yield, sugar yield, Urja and M81 E type was recommended for bioethanol yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner), el pulgón amarillo del sorgo (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) es una las principales plagas de este cultivo en México, causa daños directos como insecto chupador e indirectos por la producción de mielecilla que propicia la presencia de fumagina, lo anterior, interfiere con el proceso de la fotosíntesis en las plantas, y provoca la contaminación del grano. El trabajo experimental fue establecido en Celaya, Guanajuato, México, durante el ciclo primavera-verano 2016. Se evaluaron un total de 80 genotipos comerciales de sorgo. La evaluación de tolerancia al pulgón amarillo se realizó bajo condiciones de campo, para lo cual se establecieron seis fechas de siembra, a intervalos de 15 días, a partir del 15 de abril hasta el 30 de junio. El grado de infestación de pulgón amarillo por genotipo se estimó cada diez días después de la emergencia, se eligieron cinco plantas al azar para realizar el muestreo en la hoja inferior y superior. Además, se estimó el índice de daño y rendimiento de grano. El presente estudio permitió identificar genotipos de sorgo con tolerancia al pulgón amarillo del sorgo en México. El uso de estos materiales por los productores permitirá un umbral de manejo mayor al disminuir el número de aplicaciones de insecticidas requeridos para el control del PAS. Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner), yellow aphid, is one of the main pests of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) in Mexico. It causes direct damage as a sucking insect and indirect damage by production of honeydew on which sooty mold develops, which interrupts the normal process of photosynthesis in sorghum plants and contaminates grain. The experiment was established at Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, during spring-summer 2016. In total, 80 commercial genotypes of sorghum were evaluated. Resistance to the yellow aphid was assessed under field conditions; six planting dates were used at 15-day intervals from 15 April to 30 June. Degree of yellow aphid infestation by genotype was evaluated every 10 days after emergence; five plants were chosen at random for counting aphids on the lower and upper sides of leaves. In addition, damage was scored and grain yield estimated. The study identified sorghum genotypes with resistance to yellow sorghum aphid in Mexico. Use of the materials by producers controls a higher management threshold by decreasing the number of insecticide applications required for control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar el efecto de antibiosis y el contenido de polifenoles en cultivares comerciales de Sorghum bicolor L. (Moench) sobre Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner). Se evaluaron 11 cultivares de sorgo: Perla 101, Sinaloense 202, Gavatero 203, Costeño 201, Cow Vittle, Gayland Ward 9320, NK 180, DKS 26, DKS 2805, Gayland Ward 9417, y Gayland Ward 1160. Los resultados de estudios de tablas de vida del áfido en los cultivares DKS 2805 y DKS 26 exhibieron menor porcentaje de supervivencia, mayor tiempo de desarrollo ninfal y menor producción de ninfas por hembra. DKS 2805, DKS 26, y Gayland Ward 1160 provocaron menor Ro, valores más bajos de r, menores valores de λ y mayor T para M. sacchari. Los cultivares DKS 2805 y DKS 26 presentaron alto contenido de polifenoles. Estos resultados indican que DKS 2805 y DKS26 son cultivares resistentes para M. sacchari, debido a su alta actividad de antibiosis y alto contenido de polifenoles que exhibieron. La identificación de estos cultivares resistentes, proporciona a los productores de sorgo herramientas para el manejo sustentable de M. sacchari. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of antibiosis and the content of polyphenols in commercial cultivars of Sorghum bicolor L. (Moench) on Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner). Eleven cultivars were evaluated: Perla 101, Sinaloense 202, Gavatero 203, Costeño 201, Cow Vittle, Gayland Ward 9320, NK 180, DKS 26, DKS 2805, Gayland Ward 9417, and Gayland Ward 1160. Aphid life-table studies of cultivars DKS 2805 and DKS 26 showed lower survival percentage, longer nymphal development time, and less nymph production per female. DKS 2805, DKS 26, and Gayland Ward 1160 caused lower Ro, lower values of r, lower values of λ, and higher T for M. sacchari. Cultivars DKS 2805 and DKS 26 had large amounts of polyphenols. The results indicated that DKS 2805 and DKS26 were resistant against M. sacchari because of high antibiosis activity and large amounts of polyphenols they exhibited. Identification of the resistant cultivars provides sorghum producers with tools for the sustainable management of M. sacchari. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El objetivo de este trabajo fue delimitar áreas con comportamientos homogéneos en la producción agrícola del este de la provincia de La Pampa (Argentina). Para ello se aplicaron técnicas de análisis multivariado (análisis de agrupamiento y componentes principales) a los rendimientos medios anuales por departamento (1980 a 1997) de maíz, girasol, sorgo y trigo. Se delimitaron seis áreas homogéneas de producción agrícola formadas por los siguientes departamentos: 1) Chapaleufú, Maracó y Quemú Quemú, 2) Conhelo, Rancul, Realico, y Trenel, 3) Atreucó, Capital y Catriló, 4) Guatraché, Toay y Utracán, 5) Loventué y 6) Hucal. Esta distribución estarla en relación con los suelos, geoformas predominantes y características climáticas. Las regiones de mayor producción se ubicaron hacia el norte y el este del área estudiada, para todos los cultivos considerados.

El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo evaluar indicadores morfológicos y bioquímicos en Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench cv. UDG-110 durante el proceso de germinación en condiciones de estrés hídrico inducido por polietilenglicol-6000. Las semillas se sembraron en placas Petri con diferentes concentraciones de polietilenglicol-6000 (0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 y 21 %) y se colocaron en un cuarto de crecimiento durante ocho días. Se evaluaron los indicadores siguientes: porcentaje de germinación, valor de germinación, longitud de la raíz y de la parte aérea, actividad á-amilasa y los contenidos de proteínas, azúcares reductores y fenoles solubles. Se utilizó un diseño completamente aleatorizado con cuatro réplicas por tratamiento. El polietilenglicol-6000 afectó el porcentaje de germinación y los caracteres morfo-fisiológicos, como la longitud de las raíces y las partes aéreas. La actividad á-amilasa aumentó en las variantes con presencia del agente osmótico, con valores superiores al 9 %. En las concentraciones bajas e intermedias de polietilenglicol-6000 se observaron los mayores contenidos de azúcares reductores y proteínas solubles totales en la raíz y la parte aérea, respectivamente. La concentración de fenoles solubles en la parte aérea alcanzó valores elevados entre el 15 y el 18 %, lo que puede estar relacionado con un mecanismo de defensa antioxidante para enfrentar las consecuencias del estrés oxidativo que se genera en diversas condiciones de estreses abióticos. El polietilenglicol-6000 afectó el proceso de germinación de S. bicolor cv. UDG-110, aunque hubo germinación con el 21 %, lo que evidenció la presencia de mecanismos de tolerancia a la sequía, como la producción de compuestos osmáticamente activos y la síntesis de sustancias antioxidantes.

La deficiencia de hierro (Fe) en los cultivos se manifiesta principalmente en regiones con suelos alcalinos y calcáreos. En el presente estudio se evaluó la efectividad del Fe3+ quelatado con EDDHA [ac. etilendiamino di-(o-hidroxifenilacetato)] y la aspersión foliar de FeSO4 solos y combinados, en los cultivos de sorgo, soya, okra y frijol. El EDDHA-Fe (Ultraferro®) se aplicó a dosis de 1% en la siembra sobre las semillas y para el FeSO4 se hicieron dos aplicaciones foliares al 1.5%. En los cuatro experimentos se determinó el índice de clorofila (SPAD) en tres fechas (15 y 28 de marzo, 6 de abril), y a los 48-50 días después de la siembra se cuantificó la biomasa foliar y radical. Entre los cultivos, las plantas de soya y okra manifestaron la mayor intensidad de clorosis férrica, la cual fue visible entre los tratamientos. En ambos cultivos los mayores valores SPAD y de biomasa foliar y radical se obtuvieron con la aplicación de EDDHA-Fe solo o combinado con FeSO4. En frijol y sorgo, la clorosis fue menos visible, para las plantas de frijol el mayor índice de clorofila se registró con EDDHA-Fe y FeSO4 en las dos últimas fechas de evaluación (28 de marzo y 6 de abril) y los tres tratamientos químicos superaron de forma similar al testigo, en la biomasa foliar y radical. Las plantas de sorgo registraron los mayores índices SPAD en la última fecha (6 de abril), mientras que no fueron significativas las diferencias en la biomasa foliar y radical. No se observó efecto aditivo en las variables con la combinación EDDHA-Fe y FeSO4. En general, los resultados indican que la aplicación de EDDHA-Fe solo o combinado con FeSO4 foliar en soya, okra y frijol, mostraron corrección de la clorosis férrica de manera efectiva.

Context: In developing countries of south Asia and Africa, cereal crop residues provide important fodder resources for ruminants. Genetic improvement through plant breeding for high-quality crop residues as well as for grain yield is gaining in demand among mixed crop–livestock farmers. Aims: The present study investigated the potential nutritional quality, in vitro ruminal fermentation kinetics, gas production, enzyme activities and methane production of stover of newly developed brown midrib cultivars of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) compared with other cultivars in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Methods: Stover from seven sorghum cultivars – brown midrib sorghum (SPV-2017, SPV-2018), normal grain sorghum (CSV-27), forage sorghum (SSG-59-3, CSV-32F) and sweet sorghum (CSH 22SS, CSV 24SS) – was analysed for chemical composition. Stover samples (200 ± 5 mg dry matter) from each cultivar were incubated with buffered rumen fluid (30 mL) in 100-mL calibrated glass syringes at 39°C for 72 h following a standard in vitro gas-production protocol for gas production and fermentation kinetics. Key results: Stover chemical composition varied significantly (P < 0.05) among cultivars, with highest organic matter in forage sorghum SSG-59-3 and lowest in sweet sorghum CSV-24SS. Acid detergent lignin was lowest in stover of the brown midrib cultivars (1.27% in SPV-2018 and 1.67% in SPV-2017) and highest in forage sorghum SSG-59-3 (9.42%). The brown midrib cultivars showed highest (P < 0.001) total gas production, truly degradable dry matter, organic matter digestibility and metabolisable energy content. The brown midrib cultivars and forage sorghum CSV-32F had highest (P < 0.05) production of volatile fatty acids (acetate, propionate and butyrate) and activity of ruminal enzymes (carboxymethyl cellulase and xylanase) during fermentation. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that stover from brown midrib sorghum cultivars (SPV-2017 and SPV-2018) and forage sorghum CSV-32F could be preferred over stover of other cultivars for animal feed owing to their potential for enhanced utilisation. Implications: This study provides information on nutritional quality of stover from newly developed sorghum cultivars for large-scale utilisation as animal feed in smallholder production systems of developing countries. Genetically improved crop residues are gaining in demand among mixed crop–livestock farmers of developing countries for use as feed for enhancing ruminant animal production. Stover of newly developed brown midrib sorghum showed higher fermentability and utilisation potential than that of traditional cultivars. Sorghum with good quality and quantity of stover could be a practical choice of animal feeding in smallholder production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propionic acid, a widely used food preservative and intermediate in the manufacture of various chemicals, is currently produced from petroleum-based chemicals, raising concerns about its long-term sustainability. A key way to make propionic acid more sustainable is through fermentation of low-cost renewable and inedible sugar sources, such as lignocellulosic biomass. To this end, we utilized the cellulosic hydrolysate of sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB), a residue from a promising biomass source that can be cultivated around the world, for fermentative propionic acid production using Propionibacterium freudenreichii. In serum bottles, SSB hydrolysate supported a higher propionic acid yield than glucose (0.51 vs. 0.44 g/g, respectively), which can be attributed to the presence of additional nutrients in the hydrolysate enhancing propionic acid biosynthesis and the pH buffering capacity of the hydrolysate. Additionally, SSB hydrolysate supported better cell growth kinetics and higher tolerance to product inhibition by P. freudenreichii. The yield was further improved by co-fermenting glycerol, a renewable byproduct of the biodiesel industry, reaching up to 0.59 g/g, whereas volumetric productivity was enhanced by running the fermentation with high cell density inoculum. In the bioreactor, although the yield was slightly lower than in serum bottles (0.45 g/g), higher final concentration and overall productivity of propionic acid were achieved. Compared to glucose (this study) and hydrolysates from other biomass species (literature), use of SSB hydrolysate as a renewable glucose source resulted in comparable or even higher propionic acid yields. Key points: • Propionic acid yield and cell growth were higher in SSB hydrolysate than glucose. • The yield was enhanced by co-fermenting SSB hydrolysate and glycerol. • The productivity was enhanced under high cell density fermentation conditions. • SSB hydrolysate is equivalent or superior to other reported hydrolysates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) production from sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) has been barely studied using other edible biomasses. Therefore, we evaluated the XOS content as well as its purity by comparing the content of total sugars from SSB. An environmentally friendly approach involving autohydrolysis was employed, and the reaction temperature and time had variations in order to search for the conditions that would yield high-purity XOS. After autohydrolysis, the remaining solid residues, the glucan-rich fraction, were used as substrates to be enzymatically hydrolyzed for glucose conversion. The highest XOS was observed for total sugars (68.7%) at 190 °C for 5 min among the autohydrolysis conditions. However, we also suggested two alternative conditions, 180 °C for 20 min and 190 °C for 15 min, because the former condition might have the XOS at a low degree of polymerization with a high XOS ratio (67.6%), while the latter condition presented a high glucose to total sugar ratio (91.4%) with a moderate level XOS ratio (64.4%). Although it was challenging to conclude on the autohydrolysis conditions required to obtain the best result of XOS content and purity and glucose yield, this study presented approaches that could maximize the desired product from SSB, and additional processes to reduce these differences in conditions may warrant further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate a strain of Fusarium verticillioides ITV03 isolated from wood residues in the Veracruz region of Mexico. Endoglucanase and β-glucosidase production by submerged fermentation was optimized using a Box–Behnken design, where the independent variables were urea, ammonium sulfate and yeast extract. Results: After optimization, an endoglucanase activity of 0.27 U/mL was achieved; subsequently, three carbon sources were evaluated (carboxymethyl cellulose, sweet sorghum bagasse cellulose and delignified sweet sorghum bagasse (DSSB). The results showed that DSSB yielded the greatest endoglucanase (0.28 U/mL) and β-glucosidase (0.12 U/mL) activities. Both enzymatic activities were characterized for the effect of pH, temperature and thermostability. The optimal parameters of β-glucosidase and endoglucanase activity were pH 5 and 4 respectively, the optimum temperature 60 °C. These enzymes were stable at 50 °C for 150.68 h and 8.54 h, with an activation energy (Ea(day)) of 265.55 kJ/mol and 44.40 kJ/mol respectively, for β-glucosidase and endoglucanase. Conclusion: The present work shows that a native strain like F. verticillioides ITV03 using DSSB supplemented with nitrogen has a great potential as a producer of cellulase for lignocellulosic residue hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Sweet sorghum plant, containing starchy grain, juice, and bagasse, is a potential energy crop for biobutanol production as an advanced renewable fuel. This paper assesses the economy of production of butanol from the whole sweet sorghum plant based on available experimental results. Different scenarios, including separate hydrolysis and fermentation (scenarios 1 and 2), simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (scenario 3), and co-fermentation of the juice and pretreated stalk (scenario 4), were simulated using Aspen Plus®. Moreover, in scenarios 5 and 6, the stalk is directly fed to the fermenters without juice extraction and pretreatment. Gas stripping was used to enhance the recovery and fermentation yield in scenarios 2 to 6. Acetone, supplied from the process products, was used for bagasse pretreatment in scenarios 1–4. Economic viability was investigated using Aspen Process Economic Analyzer. The butanol production price was 0.62, 0.44, 0.45, 0.61, 0.39, and 0.56 US$/L for scenarios 1 to 6, respectively. The most profitable process was scenario 5, where US$47.75 million total capital is required for the production of 11,260 tonne/year butanol. The sensitivity analysis of butanol sales price showed that even in the case of its value reduction by 50%, scenario 5 can still be profitable. Image 1 • The economy of biobutanol production from whole sweet sorghum plant was studied. • Scenarios simulated Aspen Plus® with six hydrolysis and fermentation methods. • The cost of butanol production varied from 0.39 to 0.62 $/L for scenarios 1–6. • Gas stripping method enhanced the recovery and fermentation yield of ABE. • Most profitable: no pretreatment, whole stalk fermentation, in situ gas stripping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND This study determined the nutrient requirements of Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a serious sugarcane pest in South Africa, to develop a more efficient artificial diet for mass‐rearing purposes for sterile moth production. Diets tested consisted of a minimum specification (MS) diet representing a diet formulated according to the minimum specification of a summary of published diets, which yielded satisfactory results; an ideal amino acid profile (IAAP) diet, where amino acid composition was based on the profile of amino acids in the 2nd (IAAP2) and 5th/6th (IAAP5/6) instar larvae; and lastly two diets based on the nutrient composition of the natural diet of the insects, papyrus (PAP) and sugarcane (SC). Six treatments with 50 replications were randomly allotted to 300 25 mL plastic screw‐top vials. The diet (15 mL) was dispensed into each vial and inoculated with two freshly hatched larvae. Larvae, pupae, and moths were harvested at 28 days after inoculation. Overall survivability, pupal weight, sex ratio, and rate of development was determined and compared with the diet currently in use at the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (CON). Physical characteristics of the diets such as the pH and the water‐holding capacity of the diets were also determined. RESULTS: The natural diets (PAP and SC) were not viable as they did not yield any results. Survivability was significantly higher (78%) for the MS diet whilst IAAP2 and IAAP5/6 yielded the second highest survivability (74%) compared to CON (68%). There were no differences in male pupal weights between all treatment diets, as was the case for female pupae. Within dietary treatments, female pupae were heavier than male pupae for all treatment diets. CON (1.0: 1.6) produced significantly less male than female pupae with MS (1.0: 1.2), IAAP2 (1.0: 1.0) and IAAP5/6 (1.0: 1.1) all producing equal amounts of male and female pupae. The MS diet (16%) yielded fourfold the number of moths after 28 days compared to CON (4%) and IAAP2 (4%) diets. IAAP5/6 yielded no moths after 28 days. The life stages thus developed fastest in the MS diet. The pH of all treatment diets remained stable for the entire duration of the trial. No biological contamination was observed through all diets. Differences in water‐holding capacity were observed between most diets with PAP and SC losing the most moisture whilst the MS and IAAP2 diets retained the most moisture. CONCLUSION: The MS diet most closely represented the nutrient requirements of E. saccharina, leading to its faster development on this formulation, which could be readily applied for large‐scale production of this lepidopteran pest as an aid in the mass rearing of sterile males as part of the integrated pest management plan. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a neglected crop mainly grown for its sweet grains in the pasty form. Although its taste is the main character of interest, knowledge of protein related content of the grain, especially when linked to its value for infant porridge appears equally important. The objective of this study was to evaluate the status of crude protein content of pasty grains and to determine genetic correlations between morphological and biochemical traits among sweet grain of sorghum genotypes in Burkina Faso. Eight sweet grain sorghum cultivars (BTO2, BZI1, KBZ4, PBO5, PGO3, SBR7, SPI2, STO4) were evaluated through 13 morphological and two biochemical variables. Crude protein content of these genotypes was also compared with the composition of two controls of sweet stalk sorghum (ETS) and ordinary grain sorghum or common sorghum (EBS). The analysis of variance revealed variability within sweet grain sorghum accessions, mainly on the biochemical traits (crude protein and water content) and two morphological traits (peduncle and panicle lengths), which discriminated significantly in the thresholds of 1 and 5%, respectively. In addition, sweet grain sorghum had low crude protein content compared to other types of sorghum, except, two genotypes of sweet grain sorghum (BZI1 and STO4) which recorded higher protein content compared to the common sorghum. An important and negative correlation was noted between sowing-flowering cycle and protein content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]