Impact of storage on sugar loss in sorghum stalks

Abstract

Sweet sorghum sugars are feedstock for bio-products. Extending production beyond harvest will maximize profitability, but is limited by loss of fermentable sugars during storage. Cutting stalks into billets increases surface area for processing, but can increase sugar degradation. The effect of storing whole sorghum stalks was investigated. Whole stalks of cultivar M 81-E had the highest losses at 44.2% of fermentable sugars and 68.5% of sucrose. Whole stalks of cultivar Topper lost less fermentable sugar, 43.1%, than 20 cm billets, 59.3%, but still had a greater loss of sugar than 10 cm billets. Storage of whole stalks did not increase sugar stability.