Monday, May 4, 2009
9-69

Evaluation of Sweet Sorghum for Ethanol Production

Chang-Ho Chung1, Misook Kim1, Kun-Jun Han2, and Donal Day1. (1) Audubon Sugar Institute, LSU Agricultural Center, 3845 Hwy 75, St. Gabriel, LA 70776, (2) Southeast Research Station, LSU Agricultural Center, 41217 Bethel Rd., Franklinton, LA 70438

Sweet sorghum as a potential feed stock for ethanol production offers several benefits 1) high fermentable sugar content in the stalk and convertible starch in seed heads, 2) a lower agricultural input than corn for both fertilizers and water, and 3) a wider growing region than sugarcane. Adoption of sweet sorghum as an ethanol feedstock for raw sugar factories/distilleries may have the added benefit of extending mill operations by two months. Sweet sorghum averages 73.7% of stalk (56.8% juice + 16.9% dry solid fiber), 7.5% seed heads and 18.9% leaf matter. Theoretically the ethanol yield would be 5.7g of ethanol (3.8g from juice and l.9g from seed heads)/ 100g of sweet sorghum. Post processed biomass was utilizable for cellulosic ethanol production or fuel.  Sweet sorghum as a biofuel crop will be evaluated based on current sciences and economics.