FROM GRAIN TO BIOMASS SORGHUM: A META-ANALYSIS OF BIOMASS SORGHUM LINES AND HYBRIDS PERFORMANCE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION

Sorghum is C4 crop characterized by high yields potential under drought and wet environments. It accumulates the highest amounts of carbohydrates per year and unit surface, with an energy balance better than maize and sugarcane. Biomass sorghum as a commodity crop for the bioenergy industry, represents a paradigm shift from a plant ideotype that so far was essentially grown for grain. It is therefore necessary to define key traits that can be reliably bred for. A few works evaluated biomass sorghum, and results on comparative performances between lines and hybrids are lacking. The objective of this work was to assess the performance of sorghum hybrids and lines for traits relevant for biofuel industry, using data from eighteen trials conducted in different locations in Italy from 1994 to 2014. Meta-analysis showed that sorghum hybrids were taller and outyielded sorghum lines. Lines and hybrids performed comparably for Brix values, dry mass content, and maturity. Hybrids are therefore the best recommendation for first and second generation biofuel industry in the Mediterranean region. Plant height and maturity can be used in high-throughput indirect screening for high biomass-yielding materials in early generations, and biomass and Brix values scored in advanced generations.