A feasible crop breeding strategy for straw utilisation in the ethanol industry requires an
in-depth study of the interaction between the feedstock and the microbial agents during
the production process. This study investigated the ethanol yield potential of the straw
from nine wheat cultivars through consolidated bioprocessing by two strains of Fusarium
oxysporum. Plant parameters assessed were plant lignin, cellulose and phenolic acid
content; fungal parameters analysed were biomass and cellulase/xylanase activity. Wheat
cultivars varied significantly in the amount of ethanol produced from straw by F. oxysporum.
Ethanol yielded negatively correlated with the hemicellulose and lignin content of
the straw, and the amount of the lignin phenolics syringic acid and coniferyl alcohol.
Significant positive correlations were observed between ethanol yield and the activity of
the fungal enzymes b-glucosidase and b-xylosidase. If crops such as wheat are to be used
for multifunctional purposes, i.e. food and fuel, the assessment of lignocellulose composition
and biodegradability must be assessed as part of our crop breeding programmes.
ª 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved