Sorghum agronomy for optimization of farmers’ returns

1. Sorghum agronomy for optimization of farmers’ returns Global Consultation on Pro-poor Sweet Sorghum Development for Bio-ethanol Production and Introduction to Tropical Sugar Beet IFAD, Rome 9th November 2007 Dr Jeremy Woods (Porter Institute and ICEPT, Imperial College London) E-mail: jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 7315

2. Thanks to: • Prof Yamba (CEEEZ) and Dr Munyinda (UNZA) – Zambia • Helen Watson (UKZN) – South Africa • Morden Muzondo, Evis Mvududu and Leonard Nybanga (Biomass Users Network, Zimbabwe) • Clive Wenman, Farai Musikavanhu and Max Muchatibaya (Triangle Sugar Mill, Zimbabwe) • Ghislain Gosse and the INRA team at Grignon. • And many more jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk

3. Bioenergy Development Options - scale matters • Large Scale • Sugarcane to EtOH • Palm / Soy Biodiesel • Small Scale • Sweet Sorghum – micro-distillery • Woodlot gasification elec. (Hosahali) Mill-owned estate Very competitive globally Small-holder-led hybrid Higher cost base Less globally competitive Multi-product cropping e.g. sweet sorghum Economics Uncertain Single Bioenergy Product e.g. multi-species woodlot Little Value Added to Local Communities High Value Added to Local Communities Complex- Value Added to Local Communities High risk Local Markets Social Issues Crop not well characterised Value Added to Local Communities High Risk Complex food-fuel-cash-crop interactions Export Potential

4. Markets define agronomic targets Specific markets provide agronomic targets: • Sugar / sweeteners (high sucrose purity req’d) • Animal fodder (green leaves? Molasses, grain?) • Beer (grain) • Flour (grain) • Electricity and heat (fibre) • Biofuels (sugars and grain – purity less important) How to value a multipurpose crop? jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk

5. Agronomic trails to-date • 1992 to 1995 – EU-funded as part of European Sweet Sorghum Network extension • Zimbabwe (Lowveld, Triangle and Chiredzi Research Station) • Irrigated and dry-land (v. good water control) • Small-scale generally • Detailed crop modelling and multi-variety trials inlcuding Montieth-based growth profiling and P/PET analysis for WUE • 1997 to 2000 – CFC-funded- work on diversification of the sugar industry • Zimbabwe (Lowveld, Triangle and Chiredzi Research Station) • Small to large scale (60 to 100ha on sugar estate fallow sugarcane land) • Multi-variety including Indian (NARI) and Chinese (CAS) varieties plus EU/US • ‘full-scale’ harvesting crushing and processing trials at Triangle Sugar Mill • 2004 to 2005 – CFC-funded work on small-holder production trials • Zambia (CEEEZ and University of Zambia trials carried out on small-holder land in all three agro-ecological zones of Zambia) • Small-holder-based, plus one sugarcane field (vertisol, Kafue Sugar) plus University research farm • 2005 to 2007 – CEEEZ and UNZA-funded trials • Again on small-holder land in all three agro-ecological zones • Ratooning trial at UNZA • CARENSA and now COMPETE land suitability modelling work • Helen Watson (UKZN) and Nicholas Dercas (AUA, Greece) jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk

6. CEEEZ Centre for Energy, Environment and Engineering Zambia Limited Policy Dialogue Conference The Role of Renewable Energy Policy in Africa for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development 22 - 24 June 2005 Moevenpick Royal Palm Hotel, Dar es Salaam “Sweet Sorghum as a Supplementary Feedstock to Ethanol Production” Prof. F. D. Yamba and Dr. K. Munyinda CEEEZ Private Bag E721, Lusaka, ZAMBIA Tel/Fax: +260 - 1 - 240267 Email: ceeez@coppernet.zm

7. Figure 1: Agro-ecological Regions. III - Region III II - Region II IIb - Region IIb I - Region I Zambia’s Agro-ecological Regions • Sweet sorghum varieties were planted in eight localities in the three Agro-ecological Regions. • Region I trial- planted at Lusitu on Cambisols. • Region II trial- UNZA Liempe Farm, Magoye CDT and Consolidated Farming LTD, Kafue Sugar. • At UNZA Farm the trial was planted on Lixisols, at Magoye CDT the trial was planted on Nitosols and at Consolidated Farming LTD, Kafue Sugar, the trial was planted on Vertisols. • Region III, Mpongwe on Ferralsols. jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk

8. Performance of Sweet varieties at UNZA Munyinda, UNZA and CEEEZ

9. Potential of Sweet Sorghum • The yields obtained are comparable to other places, especially that these were obtained under partial drought conditions experienced in Zambia in the 2004/2005 season. Munyinda, UNZA and CEEEZ

10. Potential of Sweet Sorghum • Yield of Sweet Sorghums varied with location (variety x environment interaction) • In general similar yields were obtained in Region II and I. Munyinda, UNZA and CEEEZ

11. Potential of Sweet Sorghum Production • There was a reduction of about two times in stem yield in Region III (the high rainfall region) compared to the other two Regions. • This is attributed to soil type (acidic soils) and photoperiodic response. • There was also an influence of soil type in Region II. Yield was low on shallow and infertile soils compared to more fertile soils. Munyinda, UNZA and CEEEZ

12. jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk

13. Potential of Sweet Sorghum Production • Stem diameter and hieght also varied with locality, soil type and population density. • The higher population density, the thinner the stems and therefore prone to lodging as had occurred with Madhura. • Brix% was highest at Mpongwe and lowest at UNZA Munyinda, UNZA and CEEEZ

14. Munyinda, K. 2005 Accumulation of Sugar

15. Accumulation of Sugar • Sugar content as measured by the Brix% varied with variety and stage of growth as well as environment. • Most varieties had peaked in sugar content by milk to dough stage, while Wray, GE2 and TS1 were still increasing. These are long season varieties whose growth was interupted by the drought. • Hieghest values of sugar content were obtained with Wray, Keller, GE2 and TS1, and lowest with Madhura. Munyinda, UNZA and CEEEZ

16. Figure 10: Stability analysis of sweet sorghum varieties TS1, GE3, Wray and Keller Stability – response to inputs • The most responsive variety to input applications were: • GE2, Praj-1 and GE3. • These varieties should preferentially be grown by farmers with high crop management. • Sima and Wray are very stable variety across different environments. • These two varieties are most suitable for low-resource farmers. They have the least difference in yield between sub-optimal and optimal input application. • Wray was higher than that of Sima because it was more acid tolerant and was more adapted to different soil conditions.

17. Recommendations Potential for sweet production can be increased through: • Selection and development of adapted cultivars especially for Region III. • Selection of sites: • Higher fertility soils should be utilized • Use of irrigation. This could mitigate the effect of fertilizers. Munyinda, UNZA and CEEEZ

18. Recommendations • Use of recommended fertilizers and pesticides (particularly for resource-poor farmers) • Evaluating appropriate population density. • Thicker sweet sorghum stems could be problematic for small scale growers. • Production of at least two per season Munyinda, UNZA and CEEEZ

19. Impact of ratooning Sweet sorghum production under rain-fed and supplementary irrigated conditions jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk

20. TECHNICAL/ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT – ethanol (1) Analysis of Actual Pricing – typical factory sizes Prof. Yamba, CEEEZ

21. TECHNICAL/ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT Comments (Yamba, 2005… • Larger factories give lower prices • Ethanol has an economic advantage to gasoline since at an IRR of 20% its price is around UScents 20 against the gasoline price of US Cents 43 • This price can further be reduced to US Cents 15 if the project is implemented under CDM of the Kyoto Protocol Prof. Yamba, CEEEZ

22. Contribution to bioenergy in Southern Africa Presented by Dr Helen Watson for International Biofuels Opportunities Monday 23 April 2007

23. EUROPEAN COMMISSION: Research Directorate Competence Platform on Energy Crop & Agroforestry Systems for Arid and Semi-arid Ecosystems – Africa www.compete-bioafrica.net jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk

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29. It is dangerous to generalise Assurance reporting Scale & Location e.g. Regional and local levels Research & Demonstration Environmental Social Economic Policy & Institutions • Net emissions to air, water and land • Climate change mitigation & adaptation • Inc GHGs • Above and below-ground carbon balances • Biodiversity • Good agricultural practice & soil management • Waste • Direct & Indirect Land Use • LCA Social impacts • health & safety • environmental quality • Labour conditions • Welfare / happiness • Equitable access to local resources • e.g. land tenure • Barriers • Competitiveness • Market breakthrough • Incentives • Barriers & Regulations • Taxes • IP rights and ownership • Value chains and value retention • New policies & plans • Directives • Incentives • Barriers • Institutional capacity • Technology neutral options Data & indicators Regional Strategic Drivers e.g. EU’s Lisbon Criteria Diaz-Chavez, 2007

30. Conclusions • Sorghum is a highly efficient and durable crop • Radiation use efficiency (even better than sugarcane) • Nutrient use efficiency (particularly nitrogen) • Water use efficiency / hydrological impacts • Carbon / GHG use efficiency (full life-cycle basis) • It is very versatile: • Varieties with variable lengths of growing period • Range of vars from grain to fibre to sugar • Annual or perennial? • It is at a very early stage in its development. Continued development needs to: • Obtain better genetic material • Match varieties to: • Soil • Climate • Management jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk

31. Conclusions cont’d • The high oil price could drive unsustainable development • We need a range of carefully evaluated developmental models • Foreign investment should be welcomed but with caution • Main aim should be to understand how, and how much, value should be retained at the local level • Then define the tools and policies to enable that to happen • E.g. multipurpose or speciality breeding required? • Major and sustained investment is needed in capacity building • There is a possible once in a generation opportunity redirect new investment into sustainable land management in developing countries – it must not be missed! • With the right approach and careful implementation sweet sorghum could play a major role in the development of new, multi-purpose, pro-poor markets jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk

32. THANK YOU! • Further work on biofuels in the BioEnergy Group- Imperial: jeremy.woods@imperial.ac.uk