Journal of Energy Bioscience 2025, Vol.16, No.4, 193-204 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/jeb 193 Research Insight Open Access Strategies for Enhancing Energy Utilization Efficiency of Sorghum Haimei Wang Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China; Corresponding email: haimei.wang@hibio.org Journal of Energy Bioscience, 2025, Vol.16, No.4 doi: 10.5376/jeb.2025.16.0019 Received: 17 Jun., 2025 Accepted: 24 Jul., 2025 Published: 06 Aug., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Wang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Wang H.M., 2025, Strategies for enhancing energy utilization efficiency of sorghum, Journal of Energy Bioscience, 16(4): 193-204 (doi: 10.5376/jeb.2025.16.0019) Abstract This study summarized many methods to improve the energy utilization efficiency of Sorghum bicolor, including water management, farming methods, nutrient supply, biotechnology and biomass processing, etc. The results show that appropriately reducing irrigation and combining it with mulch can save water, increase yield and energy output, which is particularly effective in semi-arid and saline-alkali land. Adopting less tillage or no tillage at all, along with organic fertilizers, not only ensures stable production but also enhances energy utilization. In terms of biomass utilization, first ensiling sorghum residue with biofortification and then treating it with alkali can make it easier to decompose and utilize. Molecular breeding and bioengineering can also make sorghum more tolerant of adverse conditions such as iron deficiency and drought. Overall, integrating water, soil, nutrient management and biotechnology, and adjusting according to the conditions of different regions, is the core goal of improving the energy utilization efficiency of sorghum. Keywords Sorghum; Energy utilization efficiency; Irrigation management; Biomass conversion; Molecular breeding 1 Introduction Sorghum bicolor L. Moench is the fifth largest grain in the world. It has strong stress resistance and multiple uses, playing an important role in food, feed and renewable energy. It performs particularly well in adverse environments such as drought and saline-alkali conditions (Bakari et al., 2022; Zheng et al., 2023). In recent years, the global population has increased, climate change has intensified, and fossil energy has also been decreasing. In response to the pressure of energy and the environment, people have begun to attach importance to efficient and sustainable biomass energy crops (Bazaluk et al., 2021; Xiao et al., 2021; Ameen et al., 2024). Sorghum has a high yield, wide adaptability and can grow under low-input conditions. It is regarded as a good material for producing bioenergy (Xiao et al., 2021; Bakari et al., 2022). Energy Utilization Efficiency (EUE) is an important indicator for measuring the relationship between the input resources and the output energy in the production and conversion processes of energy crops such as sorghum. Improving EUE can reduce energy consumption in agriculture, lower environmental pressure, and also enhance the economic viability and sustainability of the bioenergy industry. The factors influencing sorghum EUE include variety selection, farming methods, fertilization methods, irrigation methods, harvest time and processing techniques, etc. For instance, reducing input, optimizing irrigation and fertilization, using organic fertilizers or waste resources, and efficient biomass conversion technologies can all significantly enhance the energy output and utilization efficiency of sorghum (Wiedenfeld, 1984; Głąb et al., 2019; Lopez-Sandin et al., 2019; Jankowski et al., 2020; Perazzini et al., 2021; Xiao et al., 2021; Liu et al., 2024; Pietro Garofalo et al., 2025). This review will systematically sort out and analyze the main methods and research progress for improving the EUE of sorghum in recent years, including aspects such as variety improvement, agronomic management, efficient resource utilization, and biomass conversion. We will analyze the energy input and output of different production systems, management measures and transformation paths to identify the key links and future directions for enhancing EUE. At the same time, the adaptability of sorghum in different ecological zones and its strategic value in global energy security and sustainable agriculture will also be discussed, providing references for the efficient utilization of sorghum and related policies.
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