ALMANAC shows promise as a tool to realistically simulate mean biomass yields and variability around the mean for multi-year runs of switchgrass at these diverse sites.
A 15% change in CN changed mean annual biomass yield from 0%to16%6% depending on location.
Mapped QTL explained a mean 3% Vp in biomass yield across the two biomass harvests.
The mean value of the biomass yield coefficient, determined in the experiments, was YX/S = 0.696 gbiomass (gstyrene)−1.
This means that the experimental biomass yield is far from optimal and the cells are using inefficient biomass synthesis pathways or are dissipating energy in futile cycles.
Drought stress decreased leaf area duration, cumulative water transpired, net assimilation rate, mean transpiration rate, harvest index, and biomass yield in both varieties studied.
Organic matter (OM) content, bulk density (BD), saturated hydraulic conductivity (KS), aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD) and dry biomass yield (DBY) were measured after harvesting in the second year.
The mean values over three replications of biomass yield; length, weight, number and yield of fruits; contents of cucurbitacin-B, lycopene, charantin and plant insulin; and water content that showed significant variation were used to compute their inter se correlation.
Similarly, the biomass yield was determined as a maximum mean of non-transformed OD in a 30 time points sliding window.
As a means of understanding the nature of the genetic mechanisms underlying biomass yield and yield heterosis, we identified a suite of genes whose expression in hybrids is phenotypically nonadditive, in some cases falling outside of the parental range, and a subset of which only show that expression pattern in heterotic hybrids.
