High-biomass sorghum hybrids show yield and feedstock gains with nitrogen management
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public domain
There is growing interest in high-biomass sorghum (Bicolor sorghum L. Moench) as a bioenergy feedstock, but additional information is needed to determine which varieties are most suitable for the American Midwest. This study by researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) evaluated and compared the yield potential of 13 sorghum hybrids in central and southern Illinois.
The 13 sorghum hybrids (H1-H13) were grown for two seasons (2022-2023) in two locations (Urbana and Ewing, Illinois) with two nitrogen (N) application rates (0 and 112 kg-N ha-1) and evaluated for biomass yield potential, impact of nitrogen fertilization on yield, and nutrient and soil composition. raw materials.
The best hybrids at both sites were H1 and H13, which were both highly sensitive to photoperiod (PS) and had higher biomass yield, lower nutrient removal, and energy-rich feedstock composition. Low yielding hybrids were small (H5 and H6) and recessive at the Dw3 locus. Moderate PS hybrids (H7, H8, H11, and H12) that produced grain panicles showed high yield plasticity and excessive nutrient removal due to accumulation of potassium in biomass tissues and N and phosphorus in grain panicles.
This work documents the relationships and trade-offs between compositional and agronomic traits that can be exploited to maximize regional productivity and optimize conversion for end users. Further work is needed to optimize nitrogen fertilization and evaluate the ecosystem service benefits of these new sorghum hybrids.
The study is published in the journal GCB Bioenergy.
More information:
Chunhwa Jang et al, Identification of the best high biomass sorghum hybrids based on biomass yield potential and raw material quality affected by nitrogen fertility management in various environments, GCB Bioenergy (2025). DOI: 10.1111/gcbb.70082
Provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Quote: High-biomass sorghum hybrids show yield and feedstock gains with nitrogen management (October 25, 2025) retrieved October 25, 2025 from https://phys.org/news/2025-10-high-biomass-sorghum-hybrids-yield.html
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