Perspective of corn and sweet sorghum growing as bioenergy crops for biogas production

Abstract

Corn is the main silage crop, but it contains a low percentage of protein and a low amount of organic matter. Therefore, it is quite promising to combine corn with sorghum, which is able to form a huge vegetative mass. The similarity of morphological indicators makes it easy for these crops to be compatible. It is also important that compatible crops of corn and sorghum more fully and productively use the moisture and nutrients of the soil, which determines the good yield and nutrition of the green mass. The studies were conducted in Scientific and Production Center of Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, Ukraine. The studies were conducted in 2013-2016 with the following scheme: hybrids of sweet sorghum and corn (factor A): 1. S 42; 2. A Dovista; 3. Monica 350 MV; 4. Bistrica 400 MV. Method of sowing (factor B): 1.one species; 2. compatible. Compared to one-species crops of corn and sweet sorghum, higher productivity of compatible crops is established. At the same time, the increase in the yield of green mass and the output of biogas, compared with corn, was on average 49.8 and 13.4%, and with sweet sorghum – on 13.0 and 44.5%. The maximum yield of green mass and the estimated output of biogas were obtained in compatible crops of the hybrid sweet sorghum Dovista and corn hybrid Bistritsa 400 MV – 85.5 t/ha and 10.3 thousand m3/ha.