Meeting on growing sorghum for ethanol set for Modesto

MODESTO
January 24, 2013 7:09am

Central Valley farmers thinking about growing grain sorghum for the region’s ethanol plants may want to consider attending a meeting Feb. 5 in Modesto sponsored by Chromatin Inc., a privately held seller of crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks.

“We’re excited about the opportunities that grain sorghum presents for California growers and the state’s energy producers,” says Daphne Preuss, Chromatin’s CEO. “It offers a new option for growers that uses less fertilizer and water than corn.”

The meeting is set for the Doubletree by Hilton in Modesto to introduce production opportunities for grain sorghum in California.

Grain sorghum is a crop that can be used to make ethanol. It is heat and drought tolerant, uses less water than other major crops, and, says Chromatin, can work well as a double crop alternative behind wheat or in rotation with cotton and vegetable crops.

The grower meeting will provide details on Chromatin’s 2013 grain sorghum program, including seed options, contract terms, agronomic and grower protocol information. Contracting opportunities will be available through Chromatin for grain sorghum planting in the spring, the company says.

Harvested grain sorghum will be delivered to participating ethanol plants for biofuel production, including Pacific Ethanol in Stockton, Aemetis in Keyes, and Calgren in Pixley, it says.

In 2012, Chromatin announced its first crop of sorghum was grown and used for ethanol production by a California ethanol company, Pacific Ethanol Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX). Using sorghum seed provided by Chromatin, L and R Mussi Farms of Stockton produced 40 acres of sorghum that were harvested and delivered to Pacific Ethanol's ethanol production plant in Stockton.

Ethanol plants in California have been seeking alternative crops for corn to reduce feedstock costs, improve carbon footprint, and to source feedstock from locally grown energy-efficient crops, says Chromatin. In December 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency approved grain sorghum as an eligible feedstock under the Renewable Fuels Standard to create advanced biofuel.

For more information, call (559) 310-1112.