Parallel Session 12 – Biomass productivity

Moderator: Monalisa Sampaio Carneiro (UFSCAR, Brazil)

Speakers:

  • Jorge da Silva (Texas A&M, USA): Production of Biomass for Bioenergy from Energy Cane Feedstock System with Positive Water & C Footprint
  • Prakash Lakshmanan (GXAAS, China): Sustainable sugarcane biomass production for bioenergy: constraints and prospects
  • Daniele Henzler (CNPEM, Brazil): Assessment of palm oil potential availability for a sustainable production of advanced biofuels in Brazil: Crop Assessment Tool parametrization
  • Gabriel Palma Petrielli (CNPEM, Brazil): Climate change effects on maize and sugarcane production in Mato Grosso do Sul state in Brazil: implications for bioenergy and sustainability
  • Edmar Ramos de Oliveira Filho (UFL, USA): Directed evolution of a plant histidinol dehydrogenase to extend lifespan

  • The presentations covered a variety of topics and concerns regarding biomass productivity. The first talk, titled “Production of Biomass for Bioenergy from Feedstock System with Positive Water Footprint” (Jorge da Silva, Texas A&M), focused on using drones to analyze the water footprint in sugarcane plantations, highlighting the importance of high-throughput phenotyping methods.
  • The second presentation, “Sustainable Sugarcane Biomass Production for Bioenergy: Constraints and Prospects” (Prakash Lakshmanan, GXAAS, China), discussed sugarcane productivity, particularly in China, and compared the contributions of maize and sugarcane breeding programs, as well as their impacts on productivity increases.
  • The third talk, “Assessment of Palm Oil Potential Availability for a Sustainable Production of Advanced Biofuels in Brazil: Crop Assessment Tool Parametrization” (Daniele Henzler, CNPEM, Brazil), introduced new raw materials for the development of biofuels, analyzing the production impacts and challenges associated with cultivating oil palm and macaúba in the Brazilian states where these crops are viable.
  • The fourth presentation, “Climate Change Effects on Maize and Sugarcane Production in Mato Grosso do Sul State in Brazil: Implications for Bioenergy and Sustainability” (Gabriel Palma Petrielli, CNPEM, Brazil), presented a series of mathematical models for production scenarios in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, revealing challenging projections: by 2099, maize production may become unviable in the state, while sugarcane production will be drastically reduced.
  • Finally, the last talk, “Directed Evolution of a Plant Histidinol Dehydrogenase to Extend Lifespan” (Edmar Ramos de Oliveira Filho, UFL, USA), provided a more theoretical perspective on the role of an enzyme in plant development in general.