• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.44-49
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the pyrolysis characteristics of switchgrass using TGA-FTIR instrument. Switchgrass is a high yielding perennial grass that has been designated as a potential energy crop, because of its high energy value. Ground switchgrass were pyrolysed at different heating rates of 10, 20, 30, and $40^{\circ}C/min$ in a TGA-FTIR instrument. The thermal decomposition characteristics of switchgrass were analyzed, and the gases volatilized during the experiment were identified. The thermal decomposition of switchgrass started at approximately $220^{\circ}C$, followed by a major loss of weight, where the main volatilization occurred, and the thermal decomposition was essentially completed by $430^{\circ}C$. The pyrolysis process was found to compose of four stages; moisture evaporation, hemicellulose decomposition, cellulose decomposition, and lignin degradation. The peak temperatures for hemicellulose decomposition ($306^{\circ}C$ to $327^{\circ}C$) and cellulose decomposition ($351^{\circ}C$ to $369^{\circ}C$) were increased with greater heating rates. FTIR analysis showed that the following gases were released during the pyrolysis of switchgrass; $CO_2$, CO, $CH_4$, $NH_3$, COS, $C_{2}H_{4}$, and some acetic acid. The most gas species were released at low temperature from 310 to $380^{\circ}C$, which was corresponding well with the observation of thermal decomposition.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.185-191
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• 2013

Over the past decades, carbon dioxide concentration of the atmosphere of the world has increased significantly, and thereby the greenhouse effect has become a social issue. To solve this problem, new renewable energy sources including solar, hydrogen, geothermal, wind and bio-energy are suggested as alternatives. Among these new energy sources, bio-energy crops are widely introduced and under rapid progress. For example, corn and oilseed rape plants are used for the production of bio-ethanol and bio-diesel, respectively. However, grain prices has increased severely because of the use of corn for bio-ethanol production. Therefore, non-edible switchgrass draws attention as an alternative source for bio-ethanol production in USA. This review describes the shortage of fossil energy and an importance of switchgrass as a bio-energy crop. Also, some characteristics of its major cultivars are introduced including growth habit, total output of biomass yields. Furthermore, biotechnological approaches have been conducted to improve the productivity of switchgrass using tissue culture and genetic transformation.

• 한국토양비료학회지
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• 제50권6호
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• pp.574-587
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• 2017

Excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer to support switchgrass growth for bioenergy production may cause adverse environmental effects. The objective of this study was to determine optimum N application rate to increase biomass yield of switchgrass and to reduce adverse environmental effects related to N. Switchgrass was planted in May 2008 and biomass yield, N uses of switchgrass, nitrate ($NO_3$) leaching, and nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) emission were evaluated from 2010 through 2011. Total N removal significantly increased with N rate despite the fact that yield did not increased with above $56kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$ of N rate. Apparent nitrogen recoveries were 4.81 and 5.48% at 56 and $112kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$ of N rate, respectively. Nitrogen use efficiency decreased into half with increasing N rate from 56 to $112kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$. Nitrate leaching and $N_2O$ emission were related to N use of switchgrass. There was no significant difference of cumulative $NO_3$ leaching between 0 and $56kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$ but, it significantly increased at $112kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$. There was no significant difference of cumulative $N_2O$ emission among N rates in crest, but it significantly increased at $112kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$ in toe. Excessive N application rate (above $56kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$) beyond plant requirement could accelerate $NO_3$ leaching and $N_2O$ emission in switchgrass field. Overall, $56kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$ might be optimum N application rate in reducing economic waste on N fertilizer and adverse environmental impacts.

• 한국초지조사료학회지
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.179-186
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to determine the best performing switchgrass (Panicumvirgatum L.) cultivar with three different seeding dates as a bioenergy source in Republic of Korea. Split-plot in time with three replications was performed and three switchgrass cultivars, Carthage (CT), Cave-in-Rock (CIR), and Forestburg (FB) were used in this experiment from 2009 to 2012. Plots were seeded on April 23, May 4, and May 13, 2009 and were harvested once in November each year. No fertilizer was applied to the field for the first year; however, in second and third years (June 2010 and May 2011, respectively), N, $P_2O_5$ and K2O fertilizers were applied in 67,45 and 90 kg $ha^{-1}$, respectively. Soil pH (5.9) and climate condition including temperature ($10.4{\sim}17.5^{\circ}C$) and precipitation (89.4~109.8 mm $month^{-1}$) were suitable for switchgrass cultivation. Total dry matter yields were higher in CT and CIR compared to FB and were 16.9, 15.9, and 4.5 ton $ha^{-1}$, for CT, CIR, and FB, respectively (p<0.0001). The samples were analyzed for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), crude fiber (CF), ether extract (EE), and ash. No significant differences in energy content (p = 0.96) and chemical composition among cultivars (p>0.05) were found. Seeding dates did not affect DM yield (ton $ha^{-1}$), chemical composition and energy content significantly (p>0.05). Significant difference was observed for heights among CT, CIR, and FB (177.59, 169.98, and 94.89 cm, respectively, p = 0.0002). In conclusion, based on soil characteristics and climate condition in Korea compared to other countries, switchgrass can be cultivated successfully. Considering dry matter yield and energy content of these three cultivars of switchgrass CT and CIR adapted better to climate in Middle Eastern of Republic of Korea than Forestburg for bioenergy purpose.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.147-155
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• 2012

본 연구에서는 스위치그라스를 바이오에탄올 생산용 바이오매스로 선정하여 팝핑 전처리, 효소가수분해 및 발효 과정을 거쳐 바이오 에탄올의 생산 가능성을 조사하였다. 팝핑 전처리 된 스위치그라스에 효소를 처리하여 가수분해 한 결과 95% 이상의 효소 가수분해 효율을 보였고, 가수분해 후 생성된 당화액을 효모(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)로 발효하였을 때 생산된 바이오에탄올의 수율은 89.6%에 이르렀다. 팝핑 전처리 후 바이오매스의 글루코스와 자일로스의 함량은 각각 40.8%와 20.3%로 나타나 전처리 후 글루코스 함량에는 큰 변화가 없었으나, 자일로스의 함량이 4.7% 감소하는 것으로 보아 헤미셀룰로스 영역이 전처리 과정에서 제거된 것으로 보인다. 또한, 주사형 전자현미경 결과에 의하면 전처리 전에는 스위치그라스 표면이 비교적 매끈하고, 입방체 모양을 이루고 있었으나, 전처리 후에는 섬유가 각각 분리되어 있었으며 표면에 많은 미세공극이 생겨난 것을 관찰할 수 있었다. 그러므로 팝핑 전처리는 스위치그라스 시료의 셀룰로스 노출면적을 넓혀주는 역할을 하여 셀룰레이즈 효소의 접근성을 높여 효소 당화 효율을 증대시키는 것으로 사료된다.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.49-57
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• 2015

연구는 화본과 관상용그래스 중 국내 적용 가능성이 크고, 종자파종 공법에 적용이 가능한 새(Arundinella hirta var. ciliata Koidz), 수크령(Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) 3종을 선정하여 봄철 그린업, 겨울 엽색 및 퇴화 흐름을 분석하고자 하였다. 파종은 2009년 4월 1일에 실시하였고 파종 후 1년간 생육 시킨 후 2010년 4월 1일부터 봄철 그린업(spring green-up) 평가를 실시하였다. 봄철 그린업은 새 > 수크령 > switchgrass의 순서로 시작되었고, 새 > 수크령 switchgrass의 순서로 완료되었다. 새는 5월 13-20일 사이 그린업 피크 기간 중 초기에 green-up의 증가폭이 크게 나타났으나 수크령과 switchgrass는 5월 20-27일 사이로 그린업이 상대적으로 늦었으며 중기 이후에 증가폭이 크게 나타났다. 2010년 겨울 엽색 퇴화는 switchgrass ${\fallingdotseq}$ 수크령 > 새의 순서로 시작되었고 switchgrass > 새 ${\fallingdotseq}$ 수크령의 순서로 완료 되었다. Switchgrass는 10월 8-15일 사이가 엽색 퇴화 피크 기간으로 초형의 하부에서 상부로 변색이 진행되었다. 수크령은 10월 22-29일 사이가 엽색 퇴화 피크 기간으로 초형의 하부에서 상부로 진행되었다. 새는 10월 29일~11월 5일 사이로 상대적으로 엽색 퇴화 피크 기간이 느렸고 초형의 상부에서 하부로 변색이 진행되었다. 연중 녹색이 완전히 유지되는 기간은 새가 125일 전 후, 수크령과 switchgrass는 각각 105일 전 후로 나타났으며 새의 녹색 기간이 상대적으로 길어 녹화용 관상가치가 높았다.

• 한국자원식물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국자원식물학회 2018년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.74-74
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• 2018

Little millet (Panicum sumatrense) is well known for its salt and drought stress tolerance and high nutritional value, but very limited knowledge of genetic variation and genomic information is available. This study was to develop highly polymorphic EST-SSR markers based on cross-species transferability of derived SSRs from switchgrass EST databases and characterize newly developed EST - SSRs to better understand the genetic diversity of collected 37 germplasm accessions of little millet. A total of 779 primer pairs were designed from the 22,961 EST sequences of switchgrass (Pancium virgatum), of which 48 EST - SSR markers were developed based on the trials of transferability of these primers in little millet. The EST - SSR amplicons showed reproducible single band polymorphism and produced a total of 160 alleles with an average of 3.3 alleles per locus in 37 accessions of little millet. T he average values of expected and observed heterozygosities were 0.266 and 0.123, respectively. T he polymorphic information content (PIC) values were observed in range of 0.026 to 0.549 with an average of 0.240. The genetic relatedness among the little millet accessions was evaluated by neighbor-joining dendrogram, which grouped all accessions into two distinct groups. The validation thus demonstrated the utility of the switchgrass EST - SSR markers in assessing genomic relationships in little millet. T he findings from this study could be useful for designing strategies for the identification of diverse germplasm for conservation and future molecular breeding programs for little millet.

• 한국작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국작물학회 2006년도 한국약용작물학회 공동춘계학술발표회
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• pp.324-325
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• 2006

• 한국자원식물학회지
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.287-297
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• 2017

Little millet (Panicum sumatrense) is well known for its salt and drought stress tolerance and high nutritional value, but very limited knowledge of genetic variation and genomic information is available. In this study, a total of 779 primer pairs were designed from the 22,961 EST sequences of switchgrass (Pancium virgatum), of which 48 EST-SSR markers were developed based on the trials of transferability of these primers in little millet. The EST-SSR amplicons showed reproducible single band polymorphism and produced a total of 160 alleles with an average of 3.3 alleles per locus in 37 accessions of little millet. The average values of expected and observed heterozygosities were 0.266 and 0.123, respectively. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values were observed in range of 0.026 to 0.549 with an average of 0.240. The genetic relatedness among the little millet accessions was evaluated by neighbor-joining dendrogram, which grouped all accessions into two distinct groups. The validation thus demonstrated the utility of the switchgrass EST-SSR markers in assessing genomic relationships in little millet. The findings from this study could be useful for designing strategies for the identification of diverse germplasm for conservation and future molecular breeding programs for little millet.

• 한국육종학회지
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.121-128
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• 2010

Finding alternative and renewable energy sources has become an important goal for plant scientists, especially with the demand for energy increasing worldwide and the supply of fossil fuel being depleted. The most important biofuel to date is bioethanol which is produced from sugars (sucrose and starch) found in corn and sugarcane. Second generation bioethanol is targeting studies that would allow the use of the cell wall (lignocellulose) as a source of carbon by non-food plants. Plant scientists, including breeders, agronomists, physiologists and molecular biologists, are working towards the development of new and improved energy crops especially, how to design crops for bioenergy production and increased biomass generation for biofuel purposes. This review focuses on: i) the current status of first generation bioenergy production, ii) the limitations of first and second generation bioenergy, and iii) ongoing research to overcome challenging issues in second generation bioenergy.