A five-year $7.5 million matching grant was awarded in 2002 by DOE to the consortium, led by NC+ Hybrids, Orion Genomics, LLC and SolviGen LLC, to develop high starch sorghum hybrids that would increase the economic efficiency of ethanol production. With the potential of becoming a primary source for ethanol production, the high starch sorghum hybrids would offer farmers higher profit margins on production on marginal land.

"In the first year of this project we have spent time doing a lot of preliminary work and looked at a lot of diverse material to try to find the highs and lows of starch content," NC+ Sorghum Research Director Jim Osborne said.

Work has now begun on incorporating the high starch germplasm into the elite sorghum hybrids that offer high yield potential, excellent drought tolerance and good adaptability. Fermentation studies are also being conducted to determine the level of extractable starch content in sorghum that is most efficient for ethanol production.

Osborne said a realistic goal is to have hybrids of two to three maturity ranges ready for pilot production in approximately four to five years with commercial availability possible one to two years after that.

Osborne added that the role grain sorghum plays in the production of ethanol in the United States could be significantly increased if researchers meet their production output goals. "I would be tickled to death if we can improve the production of ethanol from a bushel of grain sorghum for the current 2.7 to 2.8 gallons to around 3.2 gallons. That would be a tremendous increase and benefit," he said.

According to the Renewable Fuels Association the ethanol industry is expected to produce more than 2.6 billion gallons in 2003, up from the record annual production of 2.13 billion gallons set in 2002. "With these types of numbers and the new rules in California and possibly on the East Coast, the potential from ethanol for the American farmer is unbelievable," Osborne responded.