@article{touchell_lynch_shekasteband_dickey_chinn_whitfield_ranney_2024, title={Biomass yields, reproductive fertility, compositional analysis, and genetic diversity of newly developed triploid giant miscanthus hybrids}, volume={16}, ISSN={["1757-1707"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.13174}, DOI={10.1111/gcbb.13174}, abstractNote={Abstract Miscanthus × giganteus (giant miscanthus), first found as a naturally occurring hybrid, has shown promise as a bioenergy/biomass crop throughout much of the temperate world. This allotriploid (2 n = 3 x = 57) hybrid resulted from a cross between tetraploid Miscanthus sacchariflorus (2 n = 4 x = 76) and diploid Miscanthus sinensis (2 n = 2 x = 38) and is particularly desirable due to its low fertility that minimizes reseeding and potential invasiveness. However, there is limited genetic diversity in commonly grown cultivars of triploid M. × giganteus and breeding and development efforts to improve and domesticate this crop have been minimal. Here, we report on newly developed M. × giganteus hybrids compared with the industry standard M. × giganteus '1993‐1780'. Dry biomass yields of new hybrids ranged from 19.5 to 32.4 Mg/ha/year for the fourth growing season, compared with 21.0 Mg/ha/year for M. × giganteus '1993‐1780'. Plant reproductive fertility remained low for all accessions with overall fertility [(seed set × seed germination)/100] ranging from 0.3% to 4.5% for new hybrids compared to 0.4% for M. × giganteus '1993‐1780'. Culm density and height varied among accessions and were positively correlated with increased biomass. Based on compositional analyses, theoretical ethanol yields ranged from 9, 740 to 16,278 L/ha/year for new hybrids compared to 10,406 L/ha/year for M. × giganteus '1993‐1780'. Relative feed value indices were low overall and ranged between 66.0 and 72.8 for new hybrids compared to M. × giganteus '1993‐1780' with 71.3. The genetic diversity of new hybrids, compared with existing cultivars, was characterized using whole genome sequences. Based on pair‐wise distances, cluster analysis clearly showed increased diversity of new hybrids compared with earlier selections. These results document new triploid hybrids of M. × giganteus with enhanced biomass and theoretical ethanol yields in combination with broader genetic diversity and lowreproductive fertility.}, number={7}, journal={GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY BIOENERGY}, author={Touchell, Darren H. and Lynch, Nathan and Shekasteband, Reza and Dickey, Allison N. and Chinn, Mari C. and Whitfield, Matthew and Ranney, Thomas G.}, year={2024}, month={Jul} }
 @article{maren_touchell_ranney_ashrafi_whitfield_chinn_2020, title={Biomass yields, cytogenetics, fertility, and compositional analyses of novel bioenergy grass hybrids (Tripidium spp.)}, volume={12}, ISSN={["1757-1707"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12676}, DOI={10.1111/gcbb.12676}, abstractNote={Abstract}, number={5}, journal={GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY BIOENERGY}, author={Maren, Nathan A. and Touchell, Darren H. and Ranney, Thomas G. and Ashrafi, Hamid and Whitfield, Matthew B. and Chinn, Mari}, year={2020}, month={May}, pages={361–373} }
 @article{whitfield_chinn_2017, title={Near infrared spectroscopic data handling and chemometric analysis with the R statistical programming language: A practical tutorial}, volume={25}, ISSN={["1751-6552"]}, DOI={10.1177/0967033517740768}, abstractNote={ Near infrared spectroscopy is widely used for compositional analysis of bulk materials because it is inexpensive, fast, and non-destructive. However, the chemometric techniques required to produce near infrared calibrations are varied and complex. While there are a number of commercial applications capable of implementing these techniques, there has also been a recent proliferation of R packages for chemometrics. The R programming language has greater capabilities for data processing, automation of multiple analyses, and user development of new techniques than many of the closed-source, graphical user interface-based commercial chemometrics applications do. The R project is thus a powerful, open-source option for generating and testing near infrared calibrations, albeit with a longer learning curve than many of the commercial chemometric applications. The calibration techniques available in R have been widely demonstrated in both the primary literature and introductory texts, but less so the steps between the acquisition of the data and the calibration. This tutorial seeks to bridge that gap by demonstrating a practical approach to data transfer and handling, using R and several packages available on the Comprehensive R Archive Network ( https://cran.r-project.org/ ), and then illustrates the use of the resulting data framework in the generation of near infrared calibrations. }, number={6}, journal={JOURNAL OF NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY}, author={Whitfield, Matthew B. and Chinn, Mari S.}, year={2017}, month={Dec}, pages={363–380} }
 @article{whitfield_chinn_veal_2016, title={Improvement of Acid Hydrolysis Procedures for the Composition Analysis of Herbaceous Biomass}, volume={30}, ISSN={0887-0624 1520-5029}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01390}, DOI={10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01390}, abstractNote={The accurate characterization of biomass is critical for development of bioenergy feedstocks and their utilization. Most analytical approaches involve acid hydrolysis of the polysaccharides in biomass, leaving most of the lignin as insoluble residue. A limitation of this approach is that the same conditions used to hydrolyze polysaccharides also degrade the liberated monosaccharides. The NREL-compiled procedures account for this effect with “Sugar Recovery Standards”, in which a solution of the expected monosaccharides is prepared and subjected to the dilute-hydrolysis portion of the procedure; however, this tends to overestimate monosaccharide degradation and introduce bias between polysaccharides of different lability. The following recommended method modifications are intended to reduce these errors: (1) quantification of immediate degradation products of monosaccharides and their stoichiometric addition to the monosaccharide yield; (2) the adjustment of this combined yield with sugar recovery standard...}, number={10}, journal={Energy & Fuels}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={Whitfield, Matthew B. and Chinn, Mari S. and Veal, Matthew W.}, year={2016}, month={Sep}, pages={8260–8269} }
 @article{whitfield_chinn_veal_2014, title={Recommendations to Mitigate Potential Sources of Error in Preparation of Biomass Sorghum Samples for Compositional Analyses Used in Industrial and Forage Applications}, volume={7}, ISSN={1939-1234 1939-1242}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12155-014-9476-y}, DOI={10.1007/s12155-014-9476-y}, number={4}, journal={BioEnergy Research}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Whitfield, Matthew B. and Chinn, Mari S. and Veal, Matthew W.}, year={2014}, month={Jun}, pages={1561–1570} }
 @misc{whitfield_chinn_veal_2012, title={Processing of materials derived from sweet sorghum for biobased products}, volume={37}, ISSN={["1872-633X"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.indcrop.2011.12.011}, abstractNote={Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is particularly suitable as a feedstock for a variety of bioprocesses, largely because of its high yields of both lignocellulosic biomass and fermentable saccharides. Sweet sorghum is less economically important for refined sugar production than other sugar crops, e.g., sugar beet and sugarcane, but can produce more raw fermentable sugar under marginal conditions than those crops. In this review, the agronomic requirements of sorghum (viz., water, soil, and nutrient requirements), cultural practices, and plant morphology are discussed from a bioprocessing perspective. Historically, sugar extraction from the plant in the form of juice has been of primary interest; these methods, along with modern developments are presented. Recently, the direct yeast fermentation of sorghum juice for ethanol production has been studied. Additionally, the bagasse resulting from the juice extraction has been used for a variety of potential products: forage, silage, combustion energy, synthesis gas, and paper. The bagasse contains high levels of relatively low crystallinity cellulose, along with relatively labile lignin, and so is itself of interest as a fermentation feedstock. Whole sorghum stalk, and its bagasse, have been subjected to studies of a wide array of pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation processes. The potential fermentation products of sweet sorghum are wide ranging; those demonstrated include ethanol, acetone, butanol, various lipids, lactic acid, hydrogen, and methane. Several potential native products of the plant, in addition to cellulose for paper production, are also identified: waxes, proteins, and allelopathic compounds, such as sorgoleone.}, number={1}, journal={INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS}, author={Whitfield, Matthew B. and Chinn, Mari S. and Veal, Matthew W.}, year={2012}, month={May}, pages={362–375} }