Photoperiod-Sensitive Tropical Corn as a Potential Source of Biomass or Paper
1984
Hammes, J. L. | Pendleton, J. W.
A $1 billion paper and paperboard trade deficit occurs annually in the United States. Research efforts are spent in improving woody species and in identifying new perennial and annual species for such purposes. Five photoperiod-sensitive, exotic tropical corn (Zea mays L.) cultivars were compared with a local corn hybrid, forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), and kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) for their potential biomass production at Madison, Wisconsin on a Ringwood silt loam (Typic Arguidoll) soil. One of the tropical cultivars, ‘Cortazar,’ produced the highest dry matter yield (15.52 t ha⁻¹) and the tallest plants (370 cm). Cortazar's vegetative yield was twice that of the local hybrid and kenaf, but not higher than forage sorghum. A cultural trial conducted with the photoperiod-sensitive cultivar ‘Tuxpeno Criollo’ indicated that early planting and a moderate plant population would increase biomass yields. Results of this study show that corn has a potential for production as a paper pulp source.
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