Three Colombian experts doing bioenergy research visited the university on Sept. 2-3 to obtain firsthand information on MMSU’s bioethanol project and at the same time share their experiences in bioenergy and biofuel production that use sweet sorghum extracts as raw materials.

The visit is a follow up to the group’s 2013 mission trip to three Southeast Asian countries—Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam—in line with their project on agroenergy which was supported by the Department of Energy.

The group is composed of Engr. Juan Carlos Mejia Nariño, advisor for bioenergy and biomass at the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Dr. Gina Marcela Amado, senior researcher of the Colombian Corporation of Agricultural Research; and Dr. Hector Samuel Villada, professor and researcher of Cauca University.

Prior to their MMSU visit, the group also met with technical experts of the Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) who are members of its Technical Working Group and are doing researches on biotechnology.    

Impressed with the way the university handles its bioethanol project which utilizes sweet sorghum as main raw material, Nariño expressed interest in establishing a tie-up between MMSU and Cauca University in terms of sweet sorghum research.

“Since Colombia has very wide hectarage in sweet sorghum, and MMSU has pioneering efforts in the utilization of this crop for bioethanol production, I am looking forward to a memorandum of understanding between our institutions to further enhance the research activities on this versatile crop,” he said.

During the interaction between MMSU’s bio-ethanol project team and the Colombian delegation, Engr. Samuel Franco detailed the enactment of the Biofuels Law of 2006 which led to the development of MMSU’s bioethanol project. He said the law provides mandatory blending of bioethanol and biodiesel to all commercial gasoline and diesel sold in the country, thus, the university was inspired to pursue this development effort so that it can contribute to the attainment of national goals.

“Effective Feb. 6, 2011, the mandated minimum ethanol blending with the selected octane level of gasoline sold in the country is 10 percent per volume,” he said, adding that the mandated sources of bioethanol in the country are sugarcane, sweet sorghum, cassava, and corn.

Asked by the group why sweet sorghum has become a priority in the MMSU bioethanol project, Dr. Franco said the crop has multiple uses as food, feed for livestock, forage, and source of bioethanol.

He said the crop also has high yield per unit area for both sweet stalk and grain. Its juice has high sugar content which reaches to about 15 to 23 degrees Brix, a measurement used to determine sweetness in fruits.

“Also, sweet sorghum seed crop matures at 100 to 110 days after emergence (DAE), while its ratoons mature at 85 to 95 days after cutting,” he said, adding that this agronomic characteristic of the crop make it more acceptable to farmers than sugarcane, which is usually harvested at 300 to 330 days after planting.

Unlike sugarcane which has a very high production input, sweet sorghum tolerates water stress. Its stalks can be harvested within 10 days after the grains are harvested. Moreover, its juice content  has a  48 to 50 percent weight.

Without grains at 85 to 95 DAE, the stalk sugar content reaches 16 to 23 degrees Brix, while its juice content is 55 to 60 percent.