PLONOWANIE WYBRANYCH ODMIAN SORGA UPRAWIANYCH W PLONIE GŁÓWNYM I WTÓRYM DO PRODUKCJI BIOETANOLU

The objective of the study was determination of usefulness of three sorghum varieties (Sucrosorgo 506, Santos, Rona 1) cultivated as primary and secondary crops for the production of bioethanol. Field experiments were carried out in 2013-2015 at the Experimental Farm in Sielec Stary, located in a region with low annual precipitation (below 550 mm) and with low levels of ground water. The yields of the sorghum varieties obtained after cultivation as a primary and secondary crop were compared. Also, the amounts of bioethanol produced from those varieties were evaluated. The results allowed for recommendation of ‘Sucrosorgo 506’ variety for cultivation for biomass as primary and secondary crops, and for production of cellulosic ethanol from its biomass. It was found that ‘Rona 1’ and ‘Sucrosorgo 506’ varieties showed higher ethanol values as the primary and secondary crops than ‘Santos’. Moreover, cultivation of sorghum as a secondary crop with rye as a winter catch crop resulted in higher biomass yields than those obtained from sorghum cultivated as a primary crop. This allows for reducing the costs of obtaining sorghum biomass for bioethanol production.