ABSTRACT
Sugarcane is an important crop throughout the tropical regions of the world. A mature sugarcane plant contains a very large amount of biomass in addition to the sucrose accumulated in its stems. Total dry matter yields, i.e. sugar and non sugar components, are normally approximately 20-60 t/ha in commercial environments, but can go as high as 70 t/ha (Muchow et al. 1994). Sucrose can comprise 12-16% of the fresh weight of stems and approximately 50% of its dry weight (Bull and Glasziou 1963), translating through to approximately 0.7 M sucrose (Moore 1995). Ethanol derived from the fermentation of sucrose is now an increasingly important product that can be used as a fuel, either directly or mixed with refined petroleum. It has been estimated that sugarcane ethanol may replace up to 10% of the world’s refined petroleum consumption in the next 15 to 20 years (Goldemberg 2007).
