University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Vegetative oil yield and agronomic performance of vegetative oil sorghum across environmental gradients

Chen, Yunzhu

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129778

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Title
Vegetative oil yield and agronomic performance of vegetative oil sorghum across environmental gradients
Author(s)
Chen, Yunzhu
Issue Date
2025-05-07
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Lee, DoKyoung
Committee Member(s)
  • Yang, Wendy
  • Villamil, Maria Bonita
Department of Study
Crop Sciences
Discipline
Crop Sciences
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
  • Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
  • Vegetative oil
  • Triacylglycerol (TAG)
  • Transformation
  • Sorghum
  • Biomass feedstock
  • Feedstock quality
  • Leaf gas exchange
Abstract
Oil sorghum (OS) lines were genetically engineered for vegetative oil accumulation, have demonstrated the ability to accumulate energy-dense triacylglycerols (TAG) in vegetative tissues, attracting attention as a promising potential feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). However, agronomic feasibility and performance need to be investigated for potential variation across different environments. This study evaluated three OS lines with grain sorghum background (TX430: TxHO-1, TxHO-2, and TxHO-3) and two OS lines with sweet sorghum background (Ramada: RmHO-1 and RmHO-2) in field experiments conducted in Nebraska (NE) and Illinois (IL) over 2 years (2023-2024). In TX430, biomass yield was influenced by genotype–environment interaction, while Ramada was affected solely by the environment. The average dry biomass yield in OS lines was 9.8 Mg ha−1 for TX430 and 18.4 Mg ha−1 for Ramada, similar to wild-type (9.9 and 20.2 Mg ha−1, respectively). Compared to wild-type, TAG concentrations in TX430 OS lines increased on average by 18.2-fold in leaves and 16.1-fold in stems. In Ramada, the average increases were 25.4-fold in leaves and 12.8-fold in stems. TAG yield increased by 8.9- to 28.4-fold in TX430 OS lines and 11.7- to 16.9-fold in Ramada OS lines. Moreover, TxHO-2 performed best in TX430 OS lines, with an average TAG yield of 189.9 kg ha-1. RmHO-1 had the highest TAG yield in Ramada, averaging 334.6 kg ha-1. The environment was the primary factor influencing plant tissue nutrients. Compared to wild-type lines, TX430 and Ramada OS lines did not exhibit excessive nutrient depletion. Under the same environments, the structural carbohydrate composition and ash content of OS lines remained consistent compared to wild-type lines in TX430 and Ramada, respectively. Overall, this field study demonstrated that TAG gene transformation has no negative impact on agronomic traits and performance of TX430 and Ramada sorghum and suggested that transforming high-biomass sorghum with improved TAG accumulation shows potential for large-scale production of both lignocellulosic biomass and plant oil for use in sustainable aviation fuel.
Graduation Semester
2025-05
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129778
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2025 Yunzhu Chen

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