Data from: Cell wall composition and bioenergy potential of rice straw tissues are influenced by environment, tissue type, and genotype

Breeding has transformed wild plant species into modern crops, increasing
the allocation of their photosynthetic assimilate into grain, fiber, and
other products for human use. Despite progress in increasing the harvest
index, much of the biomass of crop plants is not utilized. Potential uses
for the large amounts of agricultural residues that accumulate are animal
fodder or bioenergy, though these may not be economically viable without
additional efforts such as targeted breeding or improved processing. We
characterized leaf and stem tissue from a diverse set of rice genotypes
(varieties) grown in two environments (greenhouse and field) and report
bioenergy-related traits across these variables. Among the 16 traits
measured, cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, ash, total glucose, and
glucose yield changed across environments, irrespective of the genotypes.
Stem and leaf tissue composition differed for most traits, consistent with
their unique functional contributions and suggesting that they are under
separate genetic control. Plant variety had the least influence on the
measured traits. High glucose yield was associated with high total glucose
and hemicelluloses, but low lignin and ash content. Bioenergy yield of
greenhouse-grown biomass was higher than field-grown biomass, suggesting
that greenhouse studies overestimate bioenergy potential. Nevertheless,
glucose yield in the greenhouse predicts glucose yield in the field
(ρ = 0.85, p < 0.01) and could be used to optimize greenhouse (GH)
and field breeding trials. Overall, efforts to improve cell wall
composition for bioenergy require consideration of production environment,
tissue type, and variety.