Energy Assessment of Sorghum Cultivation in Southern Ukraine

Abstract

Global climate changes and fossil fuel reserve depletion are drivers for the search for environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. In Europe, biomass represents the main alternative to fossil fuels. Among energy crops, sorghum is a promising crop for arid regions. The biomass yield and energy efficiency of sorghum (both silage and grain) were studied based on field experiments conducted in Southern Ukraine. The following climate changes were identified: an increase in temperature and a decrease in precipitation. The total energy inputs for sweet sorghum were estimated at 11.256 GJ/ha. The main contributors to the energy inputs are mineral fertilizers (56.99%). The experiment showed that a yield of 40.6 t/ha could be achieved with annual precipitation of 350 mm. The energy efficiency ratio was determined to be 11.18. The total energy inputs for grain sorghum was 16.081 GJ/ha. Its yield (grain) varied from 1.92 to 7.05 t/ha. The energy efficiency ratio of grain sorghum ranged from 2.8 to 16.7.