Production of Biofuel Crops in Florida: Sugarcane/Energy Cane
Introduction
Sugarcane, a complex hybrid of Saccharum spp., is a perennial grass most often grown in the United States for the production of sugar and molasses; nevertheless, the sugars extracted from sugarcane can be easily fermented to produce ethanol that is known equally first-generation ethanol. Sugarcane byproducts (i.due east., bagasse, which is biomass remaining later on the juice is extracted from the stalks) and other free energy grasses (such equally free energy cane, behemothic reed, elephant grass, and erianthus) can be used to produce cellulosic ethanol, known every bit second-generation ethanol. The term energy cane is used to describe hybrids of Saccharum sp. that have been selected for high biomass, high fiber, and depression sucrose concentration. Due to high biomass and non-invasiveness, energy cane has high potential to be considered as feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production in Florida.
Electric current Potential for Use as Biofuel
The Brazilian sugarcane industry has been producing ethanol from sugarcane since the mid 1970s. The technology and equipment for producing ethanol from sugarcane juice is widely available. Due to high sugar prices and problems with disposal of vinasse (i.e., ethanol stillage), growers in Florida prefer to grow sugarcane for tabular array sugar and not for ethanol. The bagasse that remains subsequently removal of the juice can exist burned to generate electricity or steam equally role of a co-generation scheme. The bagasse could as well be utilized as a feedstock if the engineering science for cellulosic ethanol production or biogasification becomes viable on a commercial scale. In low-fertility soils (marginal soils) where sugarcane cultivation is not as profitable as on high-fertility muck soils (organic soils), growers may consider growing energy cane for cellulosic ethanol production if the economics will work. To increase genetic diversity in energy pikestaff, nosotros have released 5 new free energy cane cultivars in 2013—UFCP 74-1010 (Sandhu et al. 2015b), UFCP 78-1013 (Sandhu et al. 2015a), UFCP 82-1655 (Sandhu et al. 2016), UFCP 84-1047 (Gordon et al. 2016a), and UFCP 87-0053 (Gordon et al. 2016b)—for marginal soils of Florida.
Sugarcane is a tropical perennial grass. Although sugarcane performs best in tropical and sub-tropical environments with temperatures betwixt 70°F and 90°F, it can exist grown in most areas of the southern United states. All the same, sugarcane is highly sensitive to cold, and yields are reduced in areas that feel frequent frost and subfreezing temperatures.
Commercial sugarcane varieties are complex hybrids of Saccharum officinarum and other Saccharum species. This hybridization results in a wide range of physical characteristics, pest and disease tolerance, cobweb and sucrose content, and cold tolerance. Depending on the hybrid and the environment in which it is grown, mature sugarcane heights can reach over 16 ft. As well, stem diameters tin can range from pencil-sparse to over two inches. Once a sugarcane plant is relatively mature, it may alter from the vegetative to reproductive stage under sure photoperiod and soil moisture weather. At this point, the plant stops producing new leaves and develops an inflorescence. The inflorescence, or tassel, of sugarcane is a ruby-red- to white-colored, open-branched panicle. Each tassel consists of several thousand tiny flowers, each capable of producing one seed. The seeds are extremely modest, and it is estimated that 113,500 seeds together weigh 1 pound.
In full general, sugarcane seeds are not feasible. Thus, sugarcane is clonally propagated past means of "seed-pikestaff," which is a section of a mature cane stalk with buds or "eyes" located at the nodes. Sugarcane is typically harvested after nine to 14 months of growth in Florida, but in another countries it is harvested after 24 months of growth. Once an established sugarcane ingather has been harvested, information technology ratoons annually from cloak-and-dagger buds on basal portions of old stalks. The number of ratoons harvested from a single planting varies widely depending on harvest methods, growing weather condition, and the particular variety existence harvested. For more detailed information on sugarcane biology, please refer to EDIS publication SC034, Sugarcane Botany: A Brief Review (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sc034).
Figure 2.Sugarcane/free energy cane field. Credit: Curtis Rainbolt, formerly of UF/IFAS
Product
Although sugarcane tin can be grown throughout Florida, information technology is only produced commercially around the southern end of Lake Okeechobee. Currently, the entire crop (381,899 acres) is used for the production of table sugar (VanWeelden et al. 2020). Almost 74% of the crop is produced on the muck soils of the Everglades Agronomical Areas and the remainder is grown on sandy soils in Glades, Hendry, and Martin Counties.
A well-balanced nutrient supply is essential in lodge for sugarcane to attain optimum yield potential. The main elements of concern are nitrogen (Northward), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), boron (B), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and zinc (Zn). Most, if not all, soils require some level of fertilizer or subpoena input to optimize the production of sugarcane. More detailed information on sugarcane fertility needs in Florida can be found at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_sugarcane_soils.
Weeds in sugarcane are primarily controlled by mechanical and chemic control methods (run across EDIS publication WG004, Weed Management in Sugarcane [https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wg004] for herbicides that are registered for apply in Florida sugarcane). Virtually sugarcane varieties are selected for resistance to mutual plant diseases when released; nevertheless, resistance may break down over fourth dimension, making information technology important to not rely on a unmarried variety. Information on sugarcane diseases can exist establish at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_sugarcane_diseases. The primary insect pests of Florida sugarcane are soil-inhabiting wireworms and grubs, lesser cornstalk tapping, and aphids (run into https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_sugarcane_insects for an overview of insects and their command in Florida sugarcane).
Potential Yields
Average sugarcane yields in the Everglades Agricultural Area range from xxx to xl tons of cane per acre, and vary based on characteristics of soil type, crop year, harvesting, and other agricultural practices. Depending on multifariousness and maturity at the time of harvest, sugar yields are typically 200 to 300 lb. of sugar per ton of cane. Dry out biomass yields of free energy cane ranged from 12–14 tons/acre in newly released energy cane varieties grown in marginal soils of Florida.
Production Challenges
The major challenge to producing sugarcane for bioenergy in Florida volition exist expansion to growing areas north of Lake Okeechobee. The limited cold tolerance of current sugarcane varieties volition event in considerably lower yields, decreased persistence, and college production costs in areas that are subject to beneath freezing temperatures. Although sugarcane breeders continually strive to select varieties with greater cold tolerance, limited progress has been made. Energy pikestaff is relatively more than cold tolerant and tin be grown throughout Florida; however, the economics behind conversion of cellulose to ethanol is a major challenge.
Estimated Production Costs
The cost of producing sugarcane for bioenergy production will depend on factors such as field location, soil blazon, fertility and pest direction inputs, and harvest method. Prices volition also differ for sugarcane grown for biomass and sugarcane grown for sugar. In the Everglades Agronomical Area, estimated sugarcane production costs range from $30 to $35 per ton, including harvesting. Planting and harvesting cost for energy pikestaff is more than or less similar to sugarcane.
Ecology Concerns
Although sugarcane is already grown commercially for the product of table sugar, a challenge to ethanol production from sugarcane in Florida is the byproduct vinasse (ethanol stillage). Each gallon of ethanol product generates roughly 12 gallons of vinasse. In Brazil and Australia, vinasse is regarded as a valuable byproduct and it is land-applied as a fertilizer. Vinasse has high potassium, sulfur, and micronutrient content and is oftentimes combined with manufactory mud, which has loftier phosphorus, nitrogen, and calcium content to brand a consummate fertilizer from recycled organic materials. Brazil has invested in a network of stainless steel pipelines to ship vinasse from the mills to lined storage ponds and has installed wells well-nigh these ponds to monitor water quality. Some other business with vinasse is its high biochemical oxygen demand, and so care must be taken to avoid leaching into streams and lakes when applying it as a fertilizer.
Summary
Although sugarcane is grown commercially in Florida, it has not been utilized for ethanol product. Additionally, there is limited information on commercial production of sugarcane outside the geographic area of the current industry. Energy pikestaff in Florida is currently grown for experimental purposes only, and no commercial production has started however.
Bibliography
Gordon, V., J. C. Comstock, H. Southward. Sandhu, R. A. Gilbert, P. Korndorfer, R. Arundale, and N. El-Hout. 2016a. "Registration of 'UFCP 84-1047' Sugarcane." J. Institute Reg. 10: 251–257.
Gordon, V., J. C. Comstock, H. South. Sandhu, R. A. Gilbert, P. Korndorfer, R. Arundale, and N. El-Hout. 2016b. "Registration of 'UFCP 87-0053' Sugarcane." J. Plant Reg. ten: 258–264.
Sandhu, H. S., J. C. Comstock, R. A. Gilbert, 5. Gordon, P. Korndorfer, R. Arundale, and N. El-Hout. 2015a. "Registration of 'UFCP 78-1013' sugarcane." J. Plant Reg. 9: 318–324.
Sandhu, H. South., R. A. Gilbert, J. C. Comstock, 5. Gordon, P. Korndorfer, N. El-Hout, and R. Arundale. 2015b. "Registration of 'UFCP 74-1010' sugarcane." J. Institute Reg. ix: 179–184.
Sandhu, H. Due south., R. A. Gilbert, J. C. Comstock, V. Gordon, P. Korndorfer, Northward. El-Hout, and R. Arundale. 2016. "Registration of 'UFCP 82-1655' sugarcane." J. Establish Reg. 10: 22–27.
VanWeelden, Thousand., Southward. Swanson, W. Davidson, Yard. Baltazar, and R. Rice. 2020. "Sugarcane variety census-Florida 2019." Sugar J. 83: eight–20.
Publication # SS-AGR-298
Date: 9/2/2021
Gilbert, Robert A
Program Surface area: Sustainability of production systems and alternatives
About this Publication
This document is SS-AGR-298, one of a series of the Agronomy Section, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication engagement January 2008. Revised September 2014, December 2017, and July 2021. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication
About the Authors
Hardev S. Sandhu, associate professor, Agronomy Department, Everglades Research and Education Center; and Robert Gilbert, Dean for research; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.
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