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Sweet sorghum Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is a promising crop for bioethanol production characterized by its high biomass yield, sugar-rich stalks, facile juice extraction, and ability to adapt to different production systems. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of cultivation practices (soil treatments) on the juice, sugar, and ethanol yields of sweet sorghum variety Roger. Three methods of tillage (minimum, traditional, and traditional tillage with rupture of the plow layer) and three types of fertilizers (inorganic, organic, and without fertilizer) were assayed. The best results of stem yield (44.3 tons/ha), juice production (25.6 m3/ha), concentration of soluble solids in the juice (16.9 °Brix), and juice ethanol yield (2.1 m3/ha) were obtained under a mixture of traditional plowing with plow layer breaking, applying an organic fertilizer. In addition, the extracted juice allowed yeast (industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae PE-2) growth and conversion to ethanol without the need for nutrients supplementation. Therefore, sweet sorghum continues to be an interesting bioenergetic crop for production of first-generation biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy production from sorghum bioethanol is a way to help decrease climate change and environmental degradation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the agronomic characteristics associated to bioethanol production in experimental genotypes of sweet sorghum. During 2013 and 2014, seventeen sweet genotypes were evaluated in two locations, this locations are situated in northeastern Mexico, under a complete block randomly design with three replications. The three experiments were executed in Estacion Cuauhtemoc, Tamaulipas, in dryland; and two in Marin, Nuevo León, under irrigation. Experimental hybrid Potranca x Keller (p=0.05) presented the highest values (kg/ha) in: biomass weight (52 125), stem (39 650), panicle (4550), leaf (7700), juice (14 125), and bioethanol (2157 l/ha); it surpassed to the most productive control (Keller) in: 35,7, 32,5, 63,2, 41,6, 32,5, and 36,8%, respectively. It bloomed 6.8 days earlier than variety control. Experimental variety 17-1-1-1 had a minor foliar incidence of diseases in comparison to Keller. In addition, it presented agronomic characteristics similar to control in: biomass weight (44 375 kg/ha), stem (35 438 kg/ha), panicle (2488 kg/ha), leaf (6400 kg/ha), juice (11 750 kg/ha), plant dry weight (19 113 kg/ha), stem dry weight (14 888 kg/ha), bioethanol production (1929 l/ha), °Brix (15,2), days to flowering (80,8) and plant height (224 cm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing global demand for energy and the reduction of energy based on oil are driving the search for new sources of energy that are environmentally friendly. To achieve this goal, it is also necessary to optimize the related processes. In this study, the behavior of the agronomic parameters of, and the energy invested in, production systems based on a new variety of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) called ROGER were determined to define the optimal production conditions. To this end, three methods of tillage (minimum, traditional, and traditional tillage with rupture of the plow layer) and three types of fertilizers (inorganic, organic, and without fertilizer) were established, and to estimate the energy efficiency, the inputs and the energy outputs of each system were considered. The traditional tillage with breaking of the plow layer and the organic fertilizer showed the highest values of plant height (2.45 and 2.39 m, respectively); total fresh weight of the plant (51.66 and 50.77 t·ha−1, respectively), of the stem (42.7 and 41.05 t·ha−1, respectively), and of the juice (21.89 and 22.57 t·ha−1, respectively); the volume of the juice (20,783.12 and 22,529.59 L·ha−1, respectively); and Brix degrees (16.04% and 15.01%, respectively). However, the highest energy efficiency was registered in the production system that used the minimum tillage, with a value of 15.11, as well as when no fertilizer was applied with 18.68. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) is a crop that is well known for its high production of biomass and sugars in the stem juice. The objective of this work was to evaluate the productivity of sweet sorghum 'Roger' based on the dynamics of sugar production and dry biomass by considering different production methods and plant phenological stages. The experimental design consisted of different tillage and fertilization methods established in a randomized complete block design with a split plot arrangement. Tillage treatments were assigned to the plot using the three levels of minimum tillage, traditional tillage, and traditional tillage that included a subsoil operation. Fertilization treatments were assigned to the subplot using the three levels of organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, and without fertilizer. Data collection was performed at different plant phenological stages from anthesis to physiological maturity. Results showed that evaluated agronomic parameters depended on the phenological stage (P < 0.05) rather than the production methods (P > 0.05). Thus, the distribution and accumulation of sugar by stem internodes was associated with plant phenological components. The highest values of the concentration of total soluble solids (14.89%), juice sugar content (22.91 g), juice sugar concentration (527.46 mg g-1 DW), dry biomass (60.04%), and dry biomass yield (19.01 t ha-1) were observed at the physiological maturity stage of the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]