Sweet Sorghum Research Looks to Demonstrate Crop's Biofuel Potential
The Sorghum Checkoff is funding a study at Louisiana State University to demonstrate sweet sorghum’s potential for significant yield in a relatively short growing period and its ability to be a steady feedstock supply for biorefineries through improved production management.
“Results from these studies would provide information producers need to most effectively plant and harvest sweet sorghum,” said Kun Jun Han, LSU sweet sorghum specialist. “It would also be useful to biofuel industry personnel when considering site locations, as well as local community leaders working to encourage biorefineries to locate in their area.”
Han said the study will investigate a wide range of planting dates for sweet sorghum to determine the impact on biofuel properties, such as biomass yield, sugar yield and fermentable sugar composition.
From mid-March to May 2011, sweet sorghum was planted at two-week intervals and again during June and July. Some sweet sorghum will be harvested in the early seedhead development stage, which should allow for multiple harvests per year. Meanwhile, other sorghum plants will be harvested at the more traditional stage of late seed development. Results from both harvests will be studied to find which is most effective.
Sweet sorghum is a promising biofuel crop because of its ability to produce easily fermentable sugar and a large amount of cellulosic biomass for ethanol fermentation or to be burned in a co-fire process to create energy. It can be grown in a wide variety of climates and requires less water than sugar cane. The southern U.S. has a long growing season, and it may be possible to more fully utilize the whole season to enhance production of sweet sorghum.