Immature Switchgrass Could Help Cellulosic Ethanol Industry

USDA ARS press release
By Ann Perry
September 6, 2012

A gene that keeps switchgrass forever young could have far-reaching implications for the development of the plant as a biofuel crop, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

Inserting a specific gene called "corngrass" from corn into switchgrass essentially keeps the perennial grass in its juvenile form—a plant that doesn't flower, doesn't produce seeds, and doesn't have a dormant growth phase. Because of these changes, the sugars making up the plant starch are more readily available for conversion into cellulosic ethanol.

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