Recent Progresses on Industrialization of Sweet Sorghum at IMP

Abstract

Sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is not only an efficient and highly productive bioenergy crop that may help alleviate potential food-fuel tension caused by over-reliance on corn grain ethanol because of its outstanding features, including large amounts of fermentable carbohydrates in its juice-rich stalks, drought-tolerance, saline-alkaline resistance but also has considerable potential as food, forage crop owing to the limited availability of arable land. In this review, we have provided a brief overview of the progress that has been made in sweet sorghum industrialization at IMP range from research motivation, breeding, planting scale to products development. A conclusion is drawn that sweet sorghum industry is a systematic project, involving many key points, such as breeding, planting, production process and products sale. From a strategic and sustainability point of view, sweet sorghum is one of the most promising plants, particularly for ethanol, silage and liquor production.