Ethanol Production of Some Promising Commercial Sugarcane Varieties for Ecofriendly use of Ethanol as an Automobile Fuel

Abstract

Abstract: A field experiment was conducted at Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore to study the ethanol production of sugarcane.  Yielding ability of ten promising sugarcane varieties was observed.  Significant varietal differences in total sugar and fermentable sugar contents of juice, cane yield and ethanol yield were observed.  Among the varieties studied,
Co 86032 yielding the highest quantity of ethanol (19358 l/ha) while Co 87025 records the lowest (10612 l/ha) with the varietal mean of 16741 l/ha.  In addition to the highest yielder of ethanol Co 86032, varieties Co 8021, Co 86249, Co 92020,
Co 94005 and Co 94008 were also found promising which yielded ethanol more than 18,000 l/ha.  Total sugars, fermentable sugars and cane yield had direct hearing on ethanol production.  So a variety meant for ethanol production should have high total and fermentable sugars in juice coupled with high cane yield.  These high ethanol yielding varieties viz.,
Co 8021, Co 86032, Co 86249, Co 92020, Co 94005 and
Co 94008 may be exploited for commercial production of ethanol directly from juice and used as parents for evolving varieties suitable for ethanol production.