Biotech Updates

Sweet Potato Out-yields Corn in Ethanol Production Study

August 22, 2008

In search of alternative biofuel feedstocks, scientists of the US Department of Agriculture's  Agricultural Research Service (ARS) reported the suitability of sweet potatoes grown in Maryland and tropical cassava in Alabama as biofuel feedstocks. The sweet potato yielded carbohydrate comparable to the lower limit produced by sugarcane, the highest yielding ethanol crop. Sweet potato and cassava also require less fertilizer and pesticide than corn. Once the economical harvesting and processing techniques are developed, the data suggests that these crops have greater potential than corn as ethanol sources.

For details, see press release at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=1261