Abstract
Background: Besides the use of maize grain as food and feed, maize stover can be a profitable by-product for cellulosic ethanol production, whereas the whole plant can be used in silage production. However, yield is reduced by pest damages, where stem corn borers are one of the most important factors limiting yield. Overall, cell wall composition is key in determining the quality of maize biomass, as well as pest resistance. This study aims to address the interrelations between cell wall components in diverse maize genotypes, and pest resistance, ethanolic production and forage digestibility. Results: We can highlight the following results: (i) pests resistant inbred lines may show cell walls with low p-coumaric acid and hemicellulose content; (ii) inbred lines showing cell walls with high cellulose content and diferulate cross-linking may present higher performance in ethanol production; (iii) and inbred lines with enhanced digestibility may have cell walls poor in neutral detergent fibre and diferulates, combined with a lignin polymer composition richer in G subunits. Conclusions: Our results evidence that there is no maize cell wall ideotype among the tested for optimal performance in the three areas evaluated, and maize plants should be specifically bred for each particular application.
Genetic analysis and QTL mapping of stalk cell wall components and digestibility in maize recombinant inbred lines from B73 × By804
