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Prospects of Renewable Bioprocessing in Future Energy Systems pp 291–314Cite as

Sweet Sorghum: An Excellent Crop for Renewable Fuels Production

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Part of the book series: Biofuel and Biorefinery Technologies ((BBT,volume 10))

Abstract

Sorghum is a multipurpose crop that can be grown on low fertility soils with less water requirement. Sweet sorghum with wide adaptability has frequently been suggested as the potential crop to provide a broad range of clean fuels. The production of renewable liquid or gaseous fuel from the molasses or cane juice is a well-understood process. Syrup or extract from the sweet sorghum can be converted to ethanol and bio-hydrogen. After extraction of sugars containing juice from sweet sorghum stalk, the bagasse is available in large quantities that can be used as fuel in boilers in the sugar mills for the cogeneration process. Sweet sorghum is genuinely fit for growing in dryland conditions, as it only requires one-seventh of the irrigation water used by sugarcane. Furthermore, cultivating sweet sorghum in dryland conditions does not compromise the food or feed security as farmers could continue to use grain for food or feed and stalk juice for renewable biofuels production. The genetic advancement in sweet sorghum research and development of improved varieties would contribute significantly to the quantitative increase in juice yield for production of renewable fuel. The production and use of renewable liquid biofuels are one of the best alternatives to fossil fuel to reduce toxic tailpipe emissions. The use of sweet sorghum as a feed stalk for renewable fuel production is being seen as instrumental in a paradigm shift toward low-carbon fuels, which would bring sustainability in the transportation sector.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are grateful to the Center for Environmental Sciences and Climate Resilient Agriculture (CESCRA), ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi for providing the facilities and monetary support to complete the research and drafting of the book chapters. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Centre for Environmental Sciences and Climate Resilient Agriculture (CESCRA), Pusa Road, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Shiv Prasad & Sandeep Kumar

  2. ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Regional Research Station, Bikaner, 334004, Rajasthan, India

    K. R. Sheetal & P. S. Renjith

  3. Botany Department, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra, 282005, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Amit Kumar

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Correspondence to Shiv Prasad .

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  1. Department of Molecular and Cell Biochemistry, Falavarjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

    Ali Asghar Rastegari

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Ajar Nath Yadav

  3. Shri Avadh Raj Singh Smarak Degree College, Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Arti Gupta

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Prasad, S., Sheetal, K.R., Renjith, P.S., Kumar, A., Kumar, S. (2019). Sweet Sorghum: An Excellent Crop for Renewable Fuels Production. In: Rastegari, A., Yadav, A., Gupta, A. (eds) Prospects of Renewable Bioprocessing in Future Energy Systems. Biofuel and Biorefinery Technologies, vol 10. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14463-0_11

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