Local Research Could Promote Biofuels

New research from Washington State University and the USDA could help shape the future of agricultural crops used for biofuels. Scientists studying switchgrass found genes that control flowering time are finely tuned to local temperatures. In southern regions, the plants delay flowering to avoid summer heat. While farther north, they flower earlier to beat freezing temperatures.

Researchers say understanding those genes could help breeders develop switchgrass varieties better suited to local conditions, potentially extending the growing season and increasing biomass. Switchgrass is considered a promising bioenergy crop, with potential to produce alternative fuels and chemicals and create new opportunities for American agriculture.

“The goal of this research is to understand what’s happening in the native habitats of these grasses,” said corresponding author Xianran Li, a scientist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and an adjunct professor in WSU’s Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. “We identified the major genes and environmental conditions, then modeled how they interact with each other to see the whole picture.”

“Further development of the bioeconomy could mean finding new products for U.S. agriculture and less reliance on fossil fuels,” said study co-author Laura Bartley, an associate professor in WSU’s Institute of Biological Chemistry. “Studying bioeconomy species like switchgrass could be one key to reducing human impact on Earth.”

The study also used thousands of public photos and artificial intelligence to track flowering across the country. The paper’s co-authors included scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Delaware, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, the University of Georgia, the University of Texas, Iowa State University, Stanford University, and South Dakota State University.

Click Here for more from the WSU/USDA research.

“This study is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when researchers from a variety of backgrounds come together,” said Raj Khosla, Cashup Davis Family Endowed Dean of WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. “I look forward to witnessing how our faculty utilize citizen science in the future to advance research in plant genetics and other fields that benefit the planet.”

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