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Switchgrass Extractives Have Potential As A Value-Added Antimicrobial Against Plant Pathogens And Foodborne Pathogens, Alexander Ian Bruce

Masters Theses

Panicum virgatum (switchgrass), a perennial grass native to North America, is a leading biomass feedstock candidate for the manufacture of cellulosic ethanol. Switchgrass is considered a viable option for biofuel production due to its cheap production cost and ability to grow on marginal land. Biofuel derived from switchgrass has been shown to be very energy efficient, producing 540% more renewable energy versus nonrenewable energy expended. Switchgrass-derived biofuel is also estimated to have greenhouse gas emissions that are 94% lower than emissions from gasoline (Schmer et al 2008). Biofuels are created through biochemical processes that utilize various enzymes and microorganisms for …

Characterization Of Fusarium Species And Alternaria Alternata, And Their Effects On Switchgrass Health And Chemical Components, Sara Beth Collins

Masters Theses

Panicum virgatum L., readily referred to as Switchgrass, is a perennial warm-season bunch grass, used as an alternative energy source for biofuel production. There is insufficient research on switchgrass pathogens, and is expected that an increase in disease pressure will result as more land is reserved for this perennial crop. The purpose of this research was to identify and characterize pathogenic Alternaria alternata and Fusarium species on Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), and to evaluate their impact on stand establishment and plant health. Molecular identifications of fungal isolates obtained from infected commercial switchgrass seed yielded eight species (A. alternata, …

The Epidemiology Of Puccinia Emaculata (Rust) In Switchgrass And Evaluation Of The Mycoparasite Sphaerellopsis Filum As A Potential Biological Control Organism For Switchgrass Rust., Jonathan Allen Black

Masters Theses

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season, perennial grass, whose native range includes the entire United States and north into Canada, excluding areas along the pacific coast. Recently, symptoms and signs of rust disease (Puccinia emaculata) have been observed on agronomic switchgrass, which include chlorosis of leaf tissue, necrosis, lodging, and plant death.

To evaluate disease progress of switchgrass rust, in four fields, individual leaves of twenty-five switchgrass plants were rated once per week for fifteen weeks over two growing seasons for disease severity. Rust was first observed on Julian day 166 and 152 in 2010 and …