Sugar yields of switchgrass stems (A) Sugar (hexoses and pentoses) yields released from pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis.

(B) Hexoses released from pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. (C) Pentoses released from pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. (D) Efficiency of cellulose degradation (% total cellulose). EHAC: enzymatic hydrolysis after 1% H₂SO₄ pretreatment, EHAL: enzymatic hydrolysis after 1% NaOH pretreatment. DEH: direct enzymatic hydrolysis. Efficiency of cellulose degradation = Sugar yields released from enzymatic hydrolysis / content of cellulose. ○ and ○○ indicates a significant difference in sugar (hexoses and pentoses for A, hexoses for B, pentoses for C) yields released from pretreatment between CK (control) and TR (tassel removal) by t-test at P<0.05 and 0.01 (n = 3), * and ** indicates a significant difference in sugar (hexoses and pentoses for A, hexoses for B, pentoses for C) yields released from enzymatic hydrolysis between CK (control) and TR (tassel removal) by t-test at P<0.05 and 0.01 (n = 3), ⓧand ⓧⓧ indicates a significant difference in total sugar (hexoses and pentoses for A, total hexoses for B, total pentoses for C) yields released from pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis between CK (control) and TR (tassel removal) by t-test at P < 0.05 and 0.01 (n = 3). Bar indicates SD value.