Thursday, August 21, 2008

The first day of the four-day conference at the Omni Houston Hotel in Houston, Texas, United States , highlighted the latest research on a familiar crop touted by some as an ideal feedstock for making biofuels such as ethanol, both in the US and elsewhere.

Among the more than 200 in attendance were agricultural scientists, farmers, lobbyists, government leaders and would- be financiers - a reflection of the many interests that have a stake in the future of biofuels.

But even sponsors of the event seemed surprised at the turnout.

"This is a clear indication that there`s a lot of interest in sorghum," said Gale Buchanan, an undersecretary with the US Department of Agriculture, noting that 75 people had signed up initially.

The conference, which runs until tomorrow, comes as soaring energy costs are fanning greater interest in renewables and amid widening backlash over making fuels from mealies and other food crops.

In the US, sorghum grain is primarily used in cattle feed, whereas in South Africa it is a staple food and widely used in making traditional beer.

It also accounts for about 20% of the more than 34billion litres of ethanol expected to be produced in the US this year.

But researchers see potential for expanding sorghum`s role in biofuel production. They say a variety similar to sugar cane, known as "sweet sorghum", can be used now, while new breeds that have no value as food may come later. Sorghum is seen as a good global biofuel crop because it can be grown virtually anywhere, is drought-resistant and requires less fertiliser and other treatment.

The US produced about 17.6 million cubic metres of sorghum in 2007, compared with 423m cubic metres of mealies .

Nearly a third of their mealie crop goes to ethanol production .

At the conference, the US signed an agreement with China to broaden co-operation on biofuel research, including sorghum .


© (2008) The New York Times