Ethanol Production Potential from Sweet Sorghum Fertilized with Filter Cake and Vinasse from the Sugarcane Industry
Eduardo Henrique Lima de Lucena *
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Av. Prof. Luís Freire, 1000, CEP 50740-540, Recife, PE, Brazil
Emmanuel Damilano Dutra
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Av. Prof. Luís Freire, 1000, CEP 50740-540, Recife, PE, Brazil
Elvira Maria Regis Pedrosa
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, CEP 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
Rômulo Simões Cezar Menezes
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Av. Prof. Luís Freire, 1000, CEP 50740-540, Recife, PE, Brazil
José Nildo Tabosa
Instituto Agronômico de Pernambuco, Av. General San Martin, 1371, Bongi, CEP 50761-000, Recife, PE, Brazil
André Luiz de Carvalho
Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n Tabuleiro do Martins, s/n, Dois Irmãos, CEP 57072-900, Maceió, Al, Brazil
Mário Monteiro Rolim
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, CEP 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
Renisson Neponuceno de Araújo Filho
Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Rua Badejós, Lote 7, Chácaras 69/72, s/n - Zona Rural, CEP 77402- 970, Gurupi, TO, Brazil
Dario Costa Primo
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Av. Prof. Luís Freire, 1000, CEP 50740-540, Recife, PE, Brazil
Jadson Emmanuel Lopes Antunes
Universidade Federal do Piaui, Campus Ministro Petônio Portela, s/n, Ininga, CEP 64049-550, Teresina, PI, Brazil
Victor Casimiro Piscoya
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, CEP 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) has high potential to produce ethanol as a complementary crop to sugarcane, whose industry generates large amounts of waste that can be used as fertilizer. The effect of using vinasse and filter cake in the sweet sorghum production was evaluated in an experiment carried out at the “Luiz Jorge da Gama Wanderley” Experimental Station (Agronomic Institute of Pernambuco - IPA) in Vitória de Santo Antão, PE, Brazil, from July to October 2013. The experimental design was randomized blocks consisting of two independent factors (five levels of vinasse application (0; 19.42; 77.68; 155.36 and 310.72 m3ha-1) and five levels of filter cake (0; 2.75; 11.0; 22.0 and 44.0 Mg ha-1), with four replicates. Sorghum stem yield and ethanol potential, wet cake weight, total recoverable sugars, reducing sugars and fiber were determined. Vinasse and filter cake promoted increases in sorghum stem, sugar, and ethanol yield. Therefore, the use of vinasse and filter cake enables the production of sweet sorghum for ethanol production complementary to sugarcane.
Keywords: Agriculture, industrial residues, energy crops, biofuel