Sweet Sorghum

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a C4 crop that belongs to the grass family. Sweet Sorghum is native to the tropics of Africa and is also well adapted to temperate regions although yields are far lower in temperate regions.

Sweet sorghum can be grown successfully on a wide range of soils, such as heavy clays, medium loams, calcareous soils and organic soils, but it does best on sandy , silt loam soils.  It tolerates a pH range from 5.5 to 8.5 and also some degree of salinity and alkalinity.

All sorghums are considered to be one of the most drought resistant agricultural crops. They have the ability to absorb and use water at the highest efficiency.

The use of sweet sorghum as a primary ethanol feedstock has been subject to extensive research over the last decade. The use of modern agronomy techniques linked with correct plantation location can produce remarkable yields of biomass and ethanol when compared to traditional crops such as sugarcane.

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