Canadian farmers might one day grow sugar corn for a potentially huge alternative fuels market through a new project involving University of Guelph researchers.

Along with scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and Western University, the Guelph researchers will study sugar corn varieties whose higher sucrose concentrations might make them more suitable for making ethanol.

The sugar comes from juices in corn stalks, similar to sugar from Brazilian sugar cane. Producers press the stalks to collect the juice, which is fermented into ethanol.

Project leader Prof. Brandon Gilroyed, School of Environmental Sciences, said Brazilian sugar cane is currently considered more economically viable for ethanol than traditional corn. For the entire article please see

http://news.uoguelph.ca/2015/09/u-of-g-researchers-study-sugar-corn-as-alternative-fuel-source/ [1]