Sweetcane (Erianthus arundinaceus) as a native bioenergy crop with environmental remediation potential in southern China: A review

Abstract

Sweetcane (Erianthus arundinaceus [Retzius] Jeswiet) is an ecologically dominant warm-season perennial grass native to southern China. It traditionally plays an important role in sugarcane breeding due to its excellent biological traits and genetic relatedness to sugarcane. Recent studies have shown that sweetcane has a great potential in bioenergy and environmental remediation. The objective of this paper is to review the current research on sweetcane biology, phenology, biogeography, agronomy, and conversion technology, in order to explore its development as a bioenergy crop with environmental remediation potential. Sweetcane is resistant to a variety of stressors and can adapt to different growth environments. It can be used for ecological restoration, soil and water conservation, contaminated land repairing, nonpoint source pollutants barriers in buffer strips along surface waters, and as an ornamental and remediation plant on roadsides and in wetlands. Sweetcane exhibits higher biomass yield, calorific value and cellulose content than other bioenergy crops under the same growth conditions, thereby indicating its superior potential in second-generation biofuel production. However, research on sweetcane as a bioenergy plant is still in its infancy. More works need be conducted on breeding, cultivation, genetic transformation, and energy conversion technologies.