Differences  Among  and  Within  Poplar  Genotypes  for  Cellulose,  Hemicellulose,  and  Lignin  

Bill  Headlee1,  Ron  Zalesny Jr.2,  Edmund  Bauer2,  Bruce  Birr2

1UAM  School  of  Forestry  &  Natural  ResourcesArkansas  Forest  Resources  CenterMonticello,  AR

2Institute  for  Applied  Ecosystem  StudiesUSFS  Northern  Research  Station  Rhinelander,  WI  

Overview  of  Research• Evaluate  growth  and  wood  properties  of  various  genotypes  of  poplars  

from  regional  planting  networks  in  Upper  Midwest

• Biomass  production  and  allocation  

• Carbon  concentrations  and  total  sequestration  

• Water  use  efficiency  

• Specific  gravity  

• Fiber  composition  (cellulose,  hemicellulose,  lignin)  

• Study  differences  in  species  and  management  practices  for  nanocelluloseapplications  in  Arkansas  

• Specific  gravity  

• Fiber  composition  

Fiber  Composition  – Methods• 17  study  sites  in  4  states  (IA,  MI,  MN,  WI)  

• 3  plantation  networks  (10,  15,  and  20  year-‐old  sites)  

• 12  genotypes  from  5  types  of  crosses  

• AG:  Crandon  

• DD:  C916000,  C916400,  C918001

• DN:  DN34,  DN182  

• NM:  NM2,  NM6  

• TDD:  NC13564,  NC13649,  NC13624,  NC14018  

• Harvested  ~4  trees  genotype-‐1 site-‐1 (204  total  trees)  

• Trees  measured  for  DBH,  height,  and  green  weight

• Disks  collected  at  3  bole  positions§ Bole  (DBH:  1.37m)

§ Middle  (1/3  height)

§ Top  (2/3  height)

• Disks  measured  for  moisture  content,  specific  gravity,  C  concentration  and  isotopes,  fiber  composition

Fiber  Composition  – Methods

Position  of  Three  Stem  Cookies

Base  =  diameter  at  breast  height  (dbh);  Middle  =  1/3  height  of  tree;  Upper  =  2/3  height  of  tree    

Tree  Top

Tree  Bole

• Fiber  composition  measured  with  ANKOM  fiber  analyzer  using  sequential  wash  method  

• Neutral  detergent  fiber  (NDF):  removes  extractives  (~11%  of  initial  mass)  

• Acid  detergent  fiber  (ADF):  removes  hemicellulose  

• Acid  detergent  lignin  (ADL):  removes  cellulose  

• Lignin  &  ash  remain  (ash  ~1%  initial  mass)  

Fiber  Composition  – Methods

Fiber  Composition  – Results  • Significant  differences  in  genotypes  for  cellulose

• Boles  higher  on  average  (0.572)  than  tops  (0.560)  

bb

babab

abab

ababa

aa

0.55 0.56 0.57 0.58 0.59

NC13649NM2

NC13563NM6

NC14018NC13624

DN34C916000C918001DN182

CrandonC916400

Fiber  Composition  – Results  • Significant  genotype  × position  for  hemicelluloseBole Change  from  Bole  to  Top  

ccbc

bcbcbc

bcabc

abc

abab

a

0.15 0.16 0.17 0.18 0.19 0.20 0.21

NM2DN34DN182

NC14018NC13563C918001C916400NC13649

NM6C916000NC13624Crandon

**

*

**

**

*

*

-‐0.04 -‐0.03 -‐0.02 -‐0.01 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.03

NC13624C916000C918001NC13649

NM6C916400DN182

NC13563DN34

NC14018NM2

Crandon

Fiber  Composition  – Results  • Significant  genotype  × position  effect  for  ligninBole Change  from  Bole  to  Top  

dcc

bc

bcbc

abc

ab

ababa

a

0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18

CrandonC916000C916400NC13624C918001DN182NM6DN34

NC13649NC14018NC13563

NM2

***

**

***

**

*

0.00 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05

CrandonNC13563

NM2NC14018

NM6DN34DN182

NC13624C918001NC13649C916000C916400

Bole

Top

Fiber  Composition  – Summary  

Genotypes Cellulose Hemicellulose Lignin

AG High High Very  Low

DD High Medium  – High   Low

DN Medium  – High   Low Medium

NM Low Low  – Medium Medium  – High  

TDD Low  – Medium   Medium – High   Medium – High  

Genotypes Cellulose Hemicellulose Lignin

AG <  Bole >  Bole =  Bole

DD <  Bole <  Bole >  Bole

DN <  Bole <  Bole >  Bole

NM <  Bole ≤  Bole >  Bole

TDD <  Bole ≤  Bole >  Bole

• Composition  may  impact  conversion  efficiency  for  various  biofuel  platforms  

• May  also  impact  nanocelluloseapplications  – NSF  project  looking  at  feedstocks  in  Arkansas  

• Poplars  – genotype  and  planting  density  effects  

• Loblolly  pine  – tip  moth  and  planting  density  effects  

Potential  Implications  

Biomass

Cellulose Lignin

Ethanol Pyrolysis  Oil

• Funding  and  other  support  provided  by:  

§ USFS  Northern  Research  Station  Institute  for  Applied  Ecosystem  Studies  

§ Wisconsin  FOCUS  ON  ENERGY  Program  

§ Arkansas  Forest  Resources  Center

§ NSF  EPSCoR Center  for  Applied  Surface  Engineering  

• Questions?  

Thank  you  for  your  time!