Wisconsin Ag Connection - National/World News - Could Sorghum Become a Significant Alternative Fuel Source?

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Could Sorghum Become a Significant Alternative Fuel Source?
USAgNet - 09/29/2009

Could sorghum become a significant alternative fuel source? That's what faculty from Salisbury University's Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology, with Solar Fruits Bio Fuels, LLC, are hoping to find out during a series of trials this fall.

Since May, eight sweet sorghum varieties have been growing on a Wicomico County farm for evaluation as potential stock for ethanol production on Delmarva. Drs. Samuel Geleta and Christopher Briand of SU's Biological Sciences Department are spearheading the project. SU seniors Hoa Nguyen of Dorchester County, Kristen King of Anne Arundel County and Steven Weschler of Montgomery County; along with juniors Kayla Pennerman and Brian Knepper of Salisbury, are assisting with the research.

According to Geleta, about half of the varieties have already been harvested, with the rest to be finished by mid-October. Some of the plants grew to a height of 12 feet. He said sweet sorghum is attractive because it is drought resistant, fast-growing and has low nutrient and fertilization requirements. The process of producing ethanol from sweet sorghum also costs less and is more energy efficient than the process for corn.

"Sweet sorghum can be grown on marginal land with less fertilizer and water as compared to corn," Geleta said. "Since sweet sorghum juice contains simple sugar, producing ethanol from it simply requires extracting the juice and fermenting. With corn, you have to hydrolyze the starch to simple sugar before fermenting."

Dr. Jeffrey Benner, who owns the farm where the field trials are taking place, said he sees ethanol, which can be produced from sorghum, as a possible solution to the energy crisis the U.S. is facing.