Shujuan Wang¹ , Wenyu Yang²

1 Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Molecular Beeding , Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China;
2 Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China
Author    Correspondence author
Journal of Energy Bioscience, 2025, Vol. 16, No. 3   
Received: 10 Apr., 2025    Accepted: 26 May, 2025    Published: 09 Jun., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This study systematically explored the feasibility of using sorghum as a fuel ethanol feedstock. We analyzed different sorghum varieties, waste left in the field, and byproducts from the production process, including their physical and chemical properties, how to pre-treat them, and subsequent fermentation methods. The results showed that sorghum is high-yielding, drought-resistant, and highly adaptable. It can be grown in many climates, making it very suitable for producing bioethanol. We also looked at several common pre-treatment methods, such as organic solvents, alkali solutions, or enzymes. They can greatly improve the efficiency of sugar release and ethanol production. Some treatment methods can also use byproducts from biodiesel production, which can further save money. In addition to sorghum itself, its waste and some byproducts in the field can also be effectively used to make fuel ethanol, so as not to compete with food crops for resources. Economic analysis also shows that if we control the amount of enzymes used and use byproducts, we can make the price of sorghum ethanol more competitive. There is hope for sorghum to be made into bioethanol. It is not only technically feasible, but also has the potential to develop into an industry.

Potato cultivation; Sustainable agriculture; Environmental impact; Genetic origin; Case study