Sweet sorghum: an alternative feedstock for bioethanol

Abstract

Sweet sorghum is a rising crop for energy and being considered due to its merits of substituting fossil fuel with the ethanol that is extracted from it. It overcomes many of the shortcomings of other biofuel/energy (food) crops. To produce ethanol only the stalks of sweet sorghum are being used while the grain is saved for food or livestock feed. Also the grain is not in high demand in the global food market and thus has little impact on food prices and food security. Sweet sorghum is grown on already-farmed dry lands that are low in carbon storage capacity, so there are no concerns of clearing of rainforests. Sweet sorghum is easier and cheaper to grow than other biofuel crops and does not require much irrigation, so it is an important consideration in dry areas.