Sweet Sorghum Biomass - a Renewable Energy Source

Résumé du livre

In 1977, field and laboratory studies were cooperatively conducted by the TAES and the USDA. Food crops utilization research laboratory to evaluate the biomass production of three sweet sorghums grown at two row spacings in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. MN 1500 a late maturing strain provided by the U.S. Sugar Field Station at Meridian, Mississippi, produced the greatest yield of biomass with fresh and dry weights of 115.07 and 43.18 metric tons per hectare, respectively. Rio, a variety of stablished area production potential, had the highest plant level of total sugars, approximately twice that of MN 1500 but produced only one fourth the total biomass. The weight of total sugars produced by MN 1500 therefore was significantly greater due to the greater yield of biomass. Sart, a vigorous variety of mid-season maturity with demonstrated potential for syrup and forage production, out yielded Rio but did not compare favorably in production with MN 1500. Biomass yields of Rio and Sart were significantly increased by closer row spacings. When grown at a row spacing of 68.6 cm as compared to that of 101.6 cim, the biomass yields (fresh weights) of Rio and Sart were increased by 50 and 5 percent, respectively. Through sampling and field measurements, the growth and development of the sorghums were closely monitored throughout the season. In addition to chemical analyses of plant components, data were pregressively recorded relative to soil and plant moisture, plant populations, plant heights leaf indices and (...).