The new inbred lines will make sorghum plants more cold-hardy and productive. The good news is that the future biofuel will also be sorghum-based.
The new lines were developed by Maria Salas-Fernandez, associate professor of agronomy. These have improved genetics which makes them capable of delivering high biomass yields.
Unlike other plants, this new line of sorghum does not produce grains or flowers that cause the hybrid to grow higher. That way, the biomass would be accumulated until the first frost.
Maria Salas-Fernandez believes that sorghum is beneficial for the economy and the environment. The sorghum seed is cheaper than corns. It is a crop that requires familiar cultivation methods and equipment.
The new lines of sorghum have several noticeable features.
- Less emission of ash content when burned.
- Have better standability in heavy rain and wind.
- Not much Nitrogen is required to grow this sorghum.
This crop has been grown in various other areas of North Dakota, Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The produced results were quite favourable.
Salas-Fernandez sees the plantation of these crops as a step towards the increase of the overall photosynthetic capacity of plants. Hence, taking earth to better environmental condition.