May 04, 2010
New Energy-cane Sugarcane Varieties to Emphasize Fiber Content
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Traditionally, sugarcane varieties were developed based on their total sucrose content, but that may now be changing. With the desire to increase cellulosic ethanol production, Brazilian scientists are developing sugarcane varieties that are higher in fiber content instead of sucrose content. The idea is to extract the sucrose to make ethanol and then to use the fiber to make cellulosic ethanol as well. Since the crop and the industry already exist, it makes much more sense to develop cellulosic ethanol based on sugarcane fiber instead of trying to develop a new crop and a new industry.
These new energy-cane varieties as they are called are not yet commercially available, but researchers have identified genes linked to increased fiber production. These new varieties would allow for more ethanol production from the same hectare of sugarcane, limiting the need to expand acreage as a way of increasing ethanol production.
According to researcher Marcos Landell from the Agronomy Institute of Campinas, the total biomass produced from future sugarcane varieties may be more important than the sucrose content. In 6-10 years the fiber may be more valuable for ethanol production than the sucrose.
He expects that sugarcane produced in the future will be primarily for ethanol production and sugar production will become secondary.
Sugarcane breeding has been occurring for two centuries, but only in the last few decades has science and technology been rigorously applied to the improvement of sugarcane production. It took three decades to increase the amount of ethanol produced from a typical hectare of sugarcane production in Brazil from 3,000 liters per hectare to 6,800 liters per hectare. In the state of Sao Paulo, the average is 7,700 liters per hectare. Generally, sugarcane productivity has been increasing 1.5% per year in Brazil.
With the advent of new genetic breeding methods and the advances made in cellulosic ethanol production, the annual increase in productivity is expected to take on a steeper increase. Much of the new sugarcane breeding is occurring in northeastern Brazil under semiarid conditions. More water efficient sugarcane varieties would be advantageous to grow in all parts of Brazil especially those areas that experience a distinct dry season.