セルロース系バイオエタノール原料作物の研究戦略(<特集>資源作物エリアンサスの開発状況)

概要

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Bioethanol production has been increasing as an alternative for fossil energy and a countermeasure to global warming. Because there might be competition between energy and food, cellulosic crops have been strongly required for raw materials of bioethanol production. Key points in research of material crops are as follows; which, where and how raw material crops should be grown. Material crops should have high potential in biomass production as well as high tolerance for biotic and abiotic stresses. Most candidates are C4 perennial grasses including Erianthus spp. and napier grass. Such material crops have to be grown in nonarable land to avoid food-energy competition with low input of energy to reduce CO_2 production and to improve energy balance in cultivation including post-harvest processes. Growing system of material crops should be sustainable with stable and high biomass production. While napier grass is one of the best raw material crops in tropical and subtropical area, Erianthus can be grown even in temperate regions including Japan. Because they have been mainly examined as genetic resources for breeding sugarcane, there is need to study Erianthus not only in classification and genetics, but also in their possible utilization including biomass production and phytoremediation etc.
2013-07-20