Develop Comprehensive Understanding and Utilization of Sorghum Stover and Brown Midrib Forage Sorghum for Ethanol Production

2007 DOT-RITA Seed Award

 

PI: Dr. Donghai Wang (Kansas State University, Engineering Extension)
Co-PI: Dr. Ron Madl (Kansas State University)
Co-PI: Dr. Scott Staggenborg (Kansas State University)
Co-PI: Dr. Michael Woolverton (Kansas State University)

Funded: $70,000

Start Date: 07/01/2007

End Date: 06/30/2009

 

Expected Outcomes

The main results will be the finding of the impacts of chemical composition, microstructure, physical properties, pretreatment methods, and degradation products on bioprocessing of sorghum biomass for ethanol production. This will lead toward a study of the relationship among the “composition-structure-pretreatment-bioconversion sequence”.

 

The chemical composition and physical properties will be correlated to genotype and production environment. Input/output flows and estimated processing cost will be used to conduct economic analysis. Outcomes will be communicated to the processing industry for use in implementation. The outcomes will include baselines of chemical composition of regular sorghum stover and bmr forage sorghum, and optimized pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis procedures for high sugar yields. At least one peer reviewed publications is expected from this research.