Changes in ethanol production potential due to species, cultivar and location on the Canadian prairie

McLeod, J. G., May, W. E., Salmon, D. F., Sosulski, K., Thomas, J. B., Brown, P. D. and Vera, C. L. 2010. Changes in ethanol production potential due to species, cultivar and location on the Canadian prairie. Can. J. Plant Sci. 90: 163-171. In recent years there has been a rapid growth in the fuel ethanol industry, increasing the need for a consistent supply of feedstock. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of small grains in western Canada to supply feedstock to the ethanol industry. Thirty-one lines and cultivars of Canadian small grains were evaluated: eleven cultivars comprising five classes spring wheat, six cultivars of two and six row barley of feed, malting and hulless classes, eight cultivars of spring triticale and six cultivars of oat were grown at seven locations in western Canada and evaluated as feedstock for ethanol production. Starch concentrations and, for certain grains,β-glucan and pentosans were determined and used to estimate ethanol yields in L t -1 and L ha-1. On average, ethanol yield in L t -1 was wheat > triticale > barley > oat; however, for yield in L ha-1, only oat was inferior. This ranking was consistent across all locations tested. Estimates of ethanol yields indicated that certain cultivars within classes of grains were superior, such as CDC Buck, SWS 109, HY 617 and Pronghorn in the hulless barley, CWSWS, CPS-R and Triticale classes, respectively. Locations that produced the highest level of ethanol in one species tended to produce grain with the highest ethanol yields in the other species. Selection of cultivars with greater starch content, different starch quality and reduced pentosans as well as the advancements in and adoption of new fermentation technologies may lead to greater estimates of ethanol yields of small grain cereals in the future.