Sorghum as Alternative Source for Ethanol Production in Acid Soil

The sorghum can be used as raw material complementary to sugarcane for ethanol production, especially in areas where sugarcane is renewed in winter. In many areas, the renewal of sugarcane lands lets up to six months of the year without use. This would be sufficient time for growing a crop of sorghum. Thus, planting of these areas/lands, including sorghum can be used without significant industrial settings in the industrial process for ethanol production. In much of these areas, sorghum can be used for ethanol production, while sugarcane crops are not cultured due to existing soils with high acidity in both surface and subsurface. This book reports on the efficient use of gypsum as a corrective of soil acidity, discussing the calcium increases in depth and the reduction of aluminum, referring to the buffering of this element made by organic matter. In the book it is shown that the application of gypsum was able to increase the production of ethanol. Biomass energy-producing farmers may find interesting information on sorghum cultivation during the renewal of sugarcane plantation, keeping the production of ethanol for a longer period of time during the year.