Sweet Sorghum Biofuel

Hailed by some as the holy grail of biofuels, sweet sorghum biofuel is also called a smart biofuel due to its high energy yield � it produces eight units of fuel for every unit of fuel used to make it (conversely, corn ethanol uses one and a half times as much energy to be produced as it actually generates). That is a similar energy output as sugarcane�s, although sweet sorghum has the added benefit that its growing period and water requirement are four times lower than that of sugarcane.

Sweet sorghum is a corn-like plant that can grow in very dry farmland and it can be turned into ethanol without damaging the food grain that grows at its top. For that and other reasons, International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (CRISAT) advocates sweet sorghum biofuel as an option that benefits the world�s poor and does not endanger the food supply. "Sweet Sorghum is best suited for ethanol production because of its higher reducing sugar content as compared to other sources. These important traits, along with its suitability for mechanized crop production and seed propagation makes it the best alternative source of raw material for ethanol production in India", says the organization.

Thailand is also attracted to the potentials of sweet sorghum biofuel. Khon Kaen University recently announced it seeking $3 million in government funding to develop sweet sorghum as an ethanol feedstock. Besides being as productive as sugarcane, researchers say it can be harvested in the rainy season compared to winter crops such as cassava and cane. The group aims at achieving yields of 450 gallons per acre.

The production of sweet sorghum biofuel is quite gentle on the environment. It needs less fertilizer than corn, which results in less water contamination, says Ray Coniglio, a spokesman for Sebastian, Fla.-based Renewable Energy LLC, which has invested in the production of sweet sorghum with a view to convert its crop into ethanol.