ABSTRACT
Of the many species of plants that accumulate carbohydrates during growth, there are very few that use simple, easily fermentable sugar as their principal energy storage compound. Three species are economically important worldwide: Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane), Beta vulgaris (sugar beet and fodder beet), and Sorghum bicolor (sweet sorghum). Of these, B. vulgaris is the only one that can be grown successfully outside tropical regions.
