'Lite' grasses boost yields by a third in biofuel testing

Biofuel testing carried out at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has revealed a variety of switchgrass capable of boosting yields by a third.

The perennial prairie grass is described as "lignin-lite", making it easier to break down and convert into fuel.

Lignin is the central focus of much next-generation biofuel testing as, while it protects plants during growth, it makes the resultant biomass harder to break down.

This raises the input energy levels required, as well as sometimes meaning toxic chemicals must be used - two issues researchers would like to resolve.

In the latest study, scientists created a transgenic switchgrass species with one-eighth less lignin.

Growth rates per acre, combined with the increased ease of fermentation, lead to the calculation that this variety should raise biofuel yields by a third.

Meanwhile, a smaller quantity of enzymes are needed to break down the plant matter, as well as a lower pre-processing temperature.

"This significantly lowers the cost of biofuels and biochemicals from this switchgrass," says Zeng Yu Wang of the Oklahoma-based Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, who led the research.