Sugarcane: Physiology, Biochemistry & Functional Biology

Physiology of Sugarcane looks at the development of a suite of well–established and developing biofuels derived from sugarcane and cane–based co–products, such as bagasse. Chapters provide broad–ranging coverage of sugarcane biology, biotechnological advances, and breakthroughs in production and processing techniques. This single volume resource brings together essential information to researchers and industry personnel interested in utilizing and developing new fuels and bioproducts derived from cane crops.

Foreword xv Preface xvii Contributors xix 1 Sugarcane: The Crop, the Plant, and Domestication 1 Summary 1 Introduction 1 Singular Properties of the Genus Saccharum and Its Members 2 Secondary and Tertiary Gene Pools, Germplasm Resources 7 Evolution and Improvement of Sugarcanes 9 References 15 2 Anatomy and Morphology 19 Summary 19 Introduction 19 Plant Morphology 20 The Culm 20 The Leaf 26 The Inflorescence 29 The Root 30 Conclusion 32 References 33 3 Developmental Stages (Phenology) 35 Summary 35 Introduction 35 Stages of Development 38 Development of Roots 48 Molecular Control of Development 49 Conclusions 50 Acknowledgment 50 References 50 4 Ripening and Postharvest Deterioration 55 Summary 55 Abbreviations List 55 Natural Ripening 55 Chemical Ripening 61 Postharvest Deterioration 72 References 79 5 Mineral Nutrition of Sugarcane 85 Summary 85 Introduction 85 Introductory Concepts in Plant Nutrition 85 Primary Nutrients 87 Secondary Nutrients 97 Minor Nutrients 102 Beneficial Element 109 Toxic Element 112 Novel Applications of GeneticManipulation to Plant Nutrition 113 Acknowledgments 115 References 115 6 Photosynthesis in Sugarcane 121 Summary 121 Introduction 121 C4 Photosynthesis–Agronomic and Ecological Significance 122 The Biochemistry of C3 and C4 Photosynthesis 124 Environmental Physiology 131 Photosynthetic Capacity in Sugarcane 147 Conclusion 149 References 149 7 Respiration as a Competitive Sink for Sucrose Accumulation in Sugarcane Culm: Perspectives and Open Questions 155 Summary 155 Introduction 155 Toward Understanding Respiration and Plant Yield in Sugarcane 157 Transcriptional Regulation of Respiration 163 Identifying Core Genes Involved in Posttranscriptional Regulation of Respiratory Flux in Sugarcane 163 Conclusions 164 References 165 8 Nitrogen Physiology of Sugarcane 169 Summary 169 Introduction 169 Setting the Scene: Nitrogen in the Sugarcane Crop System 173 Microbial Associations and Symbioses for Nitrogen Acquisition 174 Nitrogen and Sugarcane Productivity 176 Nitrogen Assimilation and Agronomic Gains 182 Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency through Genetic Engineering 189 Conclusions 190 References 190 9 Water Relations and Cell Expansion of Storage Tissue 197 Summary 197 Introduction 197 Properties of Water, Cell Walls, and Cell Membranes 198 Applying Principles of Water Relations to Sugarcane 198 Plastic versus Elastic Cell Expansion 200 Water–Potential Isotherms 202 Estimating Apoplastic Volume in Sugarcane 203 Sugarcane Culm Growth and Development 204 Early Model of Sucrose Accumulation in Culm Tissue 205 Apoplastic Sucrose 205 Sugarcane Species Comparisons 213 Conclusion 217 References 218 10 Water, Transpiration, and Gas Exchange 221 Summary 221 Abbreviation List 221 The Challenge of Gas Exchange 223 The Properties of Water 226 Transport of Liquid Water 227 Transport of Water Vapor 233 Stomatal Regulation of Water Loss 237 Conclusion 248 References 249 11 Transport Proteins in Plant Growth and Development 255 Summary 255 Transport Basics 255 Facilitated Diffusion 256 Active Transporters 256 Ion Transport 259 Membrane Transport in the Context of Whole Plant Physiology 259 Functional Analysis of Transport Proteins 262 Conclusion 263 References 263 12 Phloem Transport of Resources 267 Summary 267 Introduction 267 General Principles and Concepts of Resource Transport in the Phloem 268 Phloem Transport of Resources in Sugarcane 277 Acknowledgments 298 References 298 13 Cell Walls: Structure and Biogenesis 307 Summary 307 Introduction 307 Distinctive Features of Sugarcane Cell Wall Composition 310 Major Cell Wall Constituents 311 Expansive Growth of the Cell Wall 323 Grass Cell Walls as Forage and Biofuel Feedstock 324 Closing Remarks 325 References 325 14 Hormones and Growth Regulators 331 Summary 331 Introduction 331 Auxin 332 Gibberellins 339 Cytokinins 344 Ethylene 350 Abscisic Acid 355 Strigolactones 360 Brassinosteroids 362 Jasmonates 365 Salicylic Acid 366 Peptide Hormones Including Florigen 369 Perspective 373 References 373 15 Flowering 379 Summary 379 Introduction 380 Developmental Phases 380 Repeatability of Flowering Date 381 Seasonality 381 Latitudinal Distribution of Flowering Types 383 Photoperiodism 383 Minimum Number of Initiating Photoperiodic Cycles 385 Photoperiodic Ecotypes and Heritability of the Photoperiod Response 385 Effect of Light Intensity and Quality 387 Effect of Temperature 387 Effect of PlantWater and Nutrient Status 389 Role of Leaves 390 Biochemical Signaling, the Flowering Hormone 391 Development 392 Flowering Control: The Breeders’ Viewpoint 393 Photoperiod Facilities–Design Considerations 399 Synchronization for Hybridization 400 Flowering Control: The Growers’ Viewpoint 402 References 406 16 Stress Physiology: Abiotic Stresses 411 Summary 411 Introduction 411 Abiotic Stresses: Basic Concepts 412 Water Stress 413 Salinity Stress 422 Sodicity 424 Temperature Stress 425 Waterlogging and Flooding Tolerance 427 Signal Perception, Transduction and Gene Regulation Associated with Abiotic Stresses 428 Toward Engineering Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Sugarcane 429 References 430 17 Mechanisms of Resistance to Pests and Pathogens in Sugarcane and Related Crop Species 435 Summary 435 Abbreviation List 435 Introduction 436 Forms of Resistance 438 Plant Defense Hormones 444 Resistance at the Surface 445 Cell Wall Strengthening 447 Soluble Phenolics 451 Terpenes 456 Nonprotein, N–based Defense 457 Protein–based Defense 461 Indirect Defense 468 Defense Theory and the Cost of Defense to Plants 472 Priming of Resistance 474 Perspectives 475 References 476 18 Source and Sink Physiology 483 Summary 483 Introduction 483 General Principles of Source–Sink Physiology 485 Communication from Source to Sink: Role of Sugars and Transport Mechanisms 491 Interactions between Source Activity and Sucrose Accumulation in Sugarcane 495 Regulation of Source Activity 499 Interpretation of Approaches to Increase Sugar Accumulation in Sugarcane 503 Sugar Sensing and Signalling: Potential Targets 506 Source–Sink Relations in Changing Climates 509 Concluding Comments: Future Directions and Relevance 512 References 513 19 Biomass and Bioenergy 521 Summary 521 Introduction 521 Biorefineries for Bioenergy and Biomaterials 524 Bioenergy Feedstock Crops 526 Life–cycle Environmental Effects 530 Sugarcane: An Established Biomass and Bioenergy Crop 531 Energycane 532 Bioethanol 534 Lignocellulose for Second Generation Bioenergy 535 Promises and Problems of Sugarcane Cell Wall in Second Generation Bioethanol 535 Biotechnology Potentials for Bioenergy 536 Conclusions 537 References 538 20 Crop Models 541 Summary 541 Abbreviation List 541 Introduction 542 Basic Concepts for Simulating Aspects of the Soil–Plant–Atmosphere System 544 Sugarcane Process Models 550 Representation of Sugarcane Physiology in Process Models 562 The Potential of Crop Modeling to Enhance Sugarcane Genetic Improvement 565 Functional Models 569 Conclusion 571 References 571 21 Sugarcane Yields and Yield–Limiting Processes 579 Summary 579 Introduction 580 Canopy Development (LAI) 581 Radiation Interception 588 Photosynthesis 590 RUE 590 Dry Matter Partitioning 591 Potential, Attainable, and Actual Yields 594 References 598 22 Systems Biology and Metabolic Modeling 601 Summary 601 Introduction to Systems Biology 601 The Metabolic Kinetic Model 604 Metabolic Control Analysis 608 Kinetic Modeling of Plant Physiology 609 Modeling Sugarcane Physiology 611 The Future of Kinetic Modeling in the Context of the Omics Era 619 References 620 23 Sugarcane Genetics and Genomics 623 Summary 623 Introduction 623 Genetic Diversity 624 Molecular Cytogenetics 625 GeneticMapping 627 Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci 629 Quantitative Genetics and Breeding 630 Map–Based Cloning: The Example of the Rust Resistance Gene 634 EST Resources 635 Conservation and Collinearity in the Genome Structure of Sugarcane and Its Close Relatives 637 Prospects 638 References 639 24 Sugarcane Biotechnology: Axenic Culture, Gene Transfer, and Transgene Expression 645 Summary 645 Tissue Culture 645 Gene Transfer 654 Transgene Expression and Gene Silencing 669 When Genomics Meet Transgenics 673 Applications of Transgenic Sugarcane 673 References 674 Index 683 Color plate is located between pages 34 and 35.