Sweet sorghum R&D at the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI)

The research work on sweet sorghum carried out at the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) during last twenty-five years has been summarized. American lines were crossed with a local Indian fodder/grain variety to produce varieties with a juicy stalk and good quality grain. Further breeding was carried out to produce varieties and hybrids giving high yield of good quality grain while retaining the characteristic of juicy stalks high in sugar. Complete development of indigenous technology for fermentation of sweet sorghum juice, solar distillation of ethanol and finally its use as a cooking and lighting fuel in new and improved stoves and lanterns was carried out. The technology of producing jaggery (unrefined sugar) and syrup from sweet sorghum was also developed. Consumer response to these products was assessed by marketing them in limited quantities. A completely automated multifuel gasification system capable of producing thermal output between 120-500 kW was developed for direct heat applications such as those in jaggery and syrup making units. Sweet sorghum bagasse was also tested in an existing paper mill to assess its suitability for paper manufacture. Areas of possible research for better exploitation of sweet sorghum have been suggested.