Sugarcane and sweet sorghum are the right crops to fuel our nation's future.
Sugarcane and sorghum are the world’s top two most productive crops and are already established in the U.S. They are drought tolerant, thrive in poor soil with little fertilizer, and can be grown on marginal lands that are currently unproductive.
The complete genetic code of sorghum and most of the code for Miscanthus (both of which are close relatives of sugarcane) are known. These genetic manuals speed up the engineering process of our crops.
The supply chain already exists to move PETROSS plants from the field to the biorefinery. Existing mills can easily be modified for biodiesel production. Staggered sugarcane and sorghum harvests can keep a biorefinery running nearly yearlong.