Multisite Field Evaluation of Oil Accumulation and Agronomic Performance in Grain and Sweet Sorghums Engineered for Lipid Hyperaccumulation

Journal Article · Wed Mar 25 00:00:00 UTC 2026 · Plant Biotechnology Journal

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70654 · OSTI ID:3024557

Chen, Yunzhu ^[1]; Park, Kiyoul ^[2]; Jang, Chunhwa  ^[1]; Lee, Jung Woo ^[1]; Wang, Mengyuan ^[2]; Kim, Hyojin ^[2]; Quach, Truyen ^[2]; Guo, Ming  ^[3]; Sonawane, Balasaheb V. ^[1]; Gosa, Sanbon Ch. ^[1]; Clemente, Thomas Elmo  ^[2]; Leakey, Andrew D. B.  ^[1]; Cahoon, Edgar B. ^[2]; Lee, DoKyoung  ^[1]

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1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
2. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States); University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE (United States)
3. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE (United States)

Oil sorghum (OS) has been developed by engineering grain (TX430) and sweet (Ramada) genetic backgrounds to accumulate triacylglycerols (TAG) in vegetative tissues as an energy-dense feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other biofuels. This study evaluated two TX430 OS lines (TxHO-2, TxHO-3) and two Ramada OS lines (RmHO-1, RmHO-2) alongside wild-type (WT) lines in NE and IL over 2 years (2023–2024) to quantify genotype × environment effects on agronomic performance and TAG accumulation. Across four environments, TX430 OS lines showed average TAG concentrations of 15.0 g kg⁻¹ in leaves and 12.8 g kg⁻¹ in stems, approximately 19-fold higher than WT. Ramada OS lines accumulated 26.1 g kg⁻¹ in leaves and 12.3 g kg⁻¹ in stems, approximately 25-fold and 13-fold increases over WT, respectively. OS lines in TX430 exhibited an 18% reduction in biomass (8.4 vs. 9.9 Mg ha⁻¹ for WT), while Ramada OS lines had similar WT biomass (18.3 vs. 19.9 Mg ha⁻¹ for WT). Among TX430 OS lines, TxHO-2 achieved the highest TAG yield (190 kg ha⁻¹), while RmHO-1 led the Ramada lines (335 kg ha⁻¹) due to higher biomass and similar TAG concentration. Enhanced TAG accumulation increased N, P, and K removal in TX430 lines but not in Ramada lines. Structural carbohydrate and ash concentration were unaffected. Overall, results confirm vegetative lipid accumulation as a viable strategy for high-biomass sorghum, supporting its potential as a dual-purpose feedstock for SAF. Future work should focus on minimizing biomass yield penalties and improving nutrient use efficiency in oil sorghum systems.

• Research Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0018420
• OSTI ID: 3024557
• Journal Information: Plant Biotechnology Journal, Journal Name: Plant Biotechnology Journal; ISSN 1467-7644; ISSN 1467-7652
• Publisher: WileyCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English