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Stressed out? Links between drought and biofuel production studied

A newly published study is the first to link changes in rainfall and other conditions during crop growth to potential detrimental effects on biofuel production.

According to an article on Phys.org, the US Department of Energy led research underlines the need to develop production systems that can tolerate sugars produced under stress, and turn those sugars into the desired biofuels.

Plant based fuel sources, such as biofuels, are likely to play a key role in sustainability as well as offering countries such as the US greater energy security and independence. However, little research has been done on how weather conditions, such as drought, will affect crop yields, and in turn biofuel production.

The researchers examined the effect of weather on biofuel production by comparing switchgrass and corn stover harvested after a year of major drought and after 2 years of normal precipitation. Significantly, they found that the plants from drought period produced more sugar, but the sugar changed during pretreatment and produced toxic compounds rather than the desired fuels.

After severe drought in the Midwestern US in 2012, soluble sugar accumulated in switchgrass at higher levels compared to non-drought years. The sugars were chemically changed during the pretreatment stage, the step that opens up the structure of the plant cell wall, by reacting with the ammonia-based pretreatment chemicals to form highly toxic compounds known as imidazoles and pyrazines. This formation of toxic compounds inhibited conversion, the final step where intermediates such as sugars are fermented into biofuels by microorganisms.

The Phys.org article suggests that it may be possible to overcome this issue either by removing the soluble sugars before pretreatment, or using microbial strains resistant to the toxic effects of imidazoles and pyrazines.

DOE’s new study demonstrates that although there are advantages to growing biofuel crops on marginal land in order to avoid competition with food crops, the plants there may encounter greater levels of stress that can adversely affect biofuel production. The research argues that to develop the sustainable production of biofuels, steps must be taken to mitigate the negative effects of stresses such as changes in precipitation and water availability. 

The research has been published in the journal Biotechnology for Biofuels





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