Sunday, February 15, 2009

Joint venture to Commercialize Arundo & Miscanthus Micro-propagation

Georgia`s Biomass Gas & Electric LLC has created a long-term marketing strategy with Hungary-based Pro System Group to adapt BG&E`s germplasm and micro-propagation technology with PSG`s Fit-Bio-Reaktor technology.

BG&E recently licensed the rights to a micro-propagation technology developed at the University of South Carolina by Laszlo Marton and Mihaly Czako that facilitates the mass planting of sterile-seed plants. The researchers worked with the heavy biomass-producing Arundo donax (giant reed) to develop the patented process. The process will also work with Miscanthus giganteus and over 50 species of perennial grasses. Although arundo and miscanthus can yield between 20 tons and 30 tons per acre, the major limitation in widespread adoption of two biomass crops has been the labor-intensive hand propagation and transplanting required for the sterile grasses. The new micro-propagation process involves a germplasm treatment and the growing of thousands of plantlets in vitro that are then matured in PSG`s bioreactors for mass row planting.

See more

No comments:

Post a Comment