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Title: Evaluation of sweet sorghum as a potential ethanol crop in Mississippi

Abstract

Petroleum prices have made alternative fuel crops a viable option for ethanol production. Sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor] is a non-food crop that may produce large quantities of ethanol with minimal inputs. Eleven cultivars were planted in 2008 and 2009 as a half-season crop. Four-row plots 6.9 m by 0.5 m, were monitored bimonthly for °Brix, height, and sugar accumulation. Yield and extractable sap were taken at the end of season. Stalk yield was greatest for the cultivar Sugar Top (4945 kg ha-1) and lowest for Simon (1054 kg ha-1). Dale ranked highest ethanol output (807 L ha-1) while Simon (123 L ha-1) is the lowest. All cultivars peak Brix accumulation occurs in early October. Individual sugar concentrations indicated sucrose is the predominant sugar with glucose and fructose levels dependent on cultivar. Supplemental ethanol in fermented wort was the best preservative tested to halt degradation of sorghum wort.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Mississippi State Univ., Starkville, MS (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
OSTI Identifier:
1079597
Report Number(s):
GO8602572
DOE Contract Number:  
FG36-06GO86025
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Horton, David Scott. Evaluation of sweet sorghum as a potential ethanol crop in Mississippi. United States: N. p., 2011. Web.
Horton, David Scott. Evaluation of sweet sorghum as a potential ethanol crop in Mississippi. United States.
Horton, David Scott. 2011. "Evaluation of sweet sorghum as a potential ethanol crop in Mississippi". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1079597.
@article{osti_1079597,
title = {Evaluation of sweet sorghum as a potential ethanol crop in Mississippi},
author = {Horton, David Scott},
abstractNote = {Petroleum prices have made alternative fuel crops a viable option for ethanol production. Sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor] is a non-food crop that may produce large quantities of ethanol with minimal inputs. Eleven cultivars were planted in 2008 and 2009 as a half-season crop. Four-row plots 6.9 m by 0.5 m, were monitored bimonthly for °Brix, height, and sugar accumulation. Yield and extractable sap were taken at the end of season. Stalk yield was greatest for the cultivar Sugar Top (4945 kg ha-1) and lowest for Simon (1054 kg ha-1). Dale ranked highest ethanol output (807 L ha-1) while Simon (123 L ha-1) is the lowest. All cultivars peak Brix accumulation occurs in early October. Individual sugar concentrations indicated sucrose is the predominant sugar with glucose and fructose levels dependent on cultivar. Supplemental ethanol in fermented wort was the best preservative tested to halt degradation of sorghum wort.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1079597}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011},
month = {Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011}
}