Key Food, Biofuel Crop Sorghum’s Genome Deciphered

Scientists have deciphered the genetic make-up of sorghum, a drought-tolerant crop and important food and biofuel source, and said the breakthrough could help develop better crops for arid regions.

Sorghum is one of the world’s leading cereals, along with corn, wheat, oats and barley, and can thrive in hot, dry conditions other crops cannot tolerate.
Sorghum is a superior biofuel source to corn because the entire plant can be used, not just the grain. Grain sorghum produces the same amount of ethanol per bushel as corn while needing a third less water.

“This is an important step on the road to the development of cost-effective biofuels made from non-food plant fiber,” said Anna Palmisano, the U.S. Department of Energy’s associate director of science for biological and environmental research.

“Sorghum is an excellent candidate for biofuels production, with its ability to withstand drought and prosper on more marginal land,” she said in a statement.

Planet Ark