Field Crop 2024, Vol.7, No.2, 116-123 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 116 Review and Progress Open Access Valorization of Sugarcane By-products from Waste to Wealth IvyChen Biotechnology Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding author: Ivychen@hotmail.com Field Crop, 2024, Vol.7, No.2 doi: 10.5376/fc.2024.07.0012 Received: 20 Feb., 2024 Accepted: 01 Apr., 2024 Published: 21 Apr., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Chen, 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: Chen I., 2024, Valorization of sugarcane by-products from waste to wealth, Field Crop, 7(2): 116-123 (doi: 10.5376/fc.2024.07.0012) Abstract The global sugarcane industry shows great potential in the development of sugar, energy and by-products. Sugarcane by-products such as bagasse, molasses and filter mud are converted into biofuels, chemicals and other high value-added products through value-added technology, reducing waste emissions and improving resource recycling. The study points out that sugarcane bagasse and molasses can be used to produce ethanol, biomass energy and a variety of chemicals, while filter mud and sugarcane waste liquid can be used as organic fertilizers and soil amendments. Despite technical, economic and policy challenges, the value-added utilization of sugarcane by-products offers new opportunities for sustainable development through technological innovation and policy support. Keywords Sugarcane by-products; Value-added; Biofuels; Environmental sustainability; Resource recycling As one of the important economic and agricultural pillars, the global sugarcane industry shows great potential in the fields of sugar production, energy and by-products. Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a fiber-rich perennial herb that is traditionally widely cultivated in tropical and temperate regions in more than 110 countries around the world, with a cultivated area of 27 million hectares. Between 2000 and 2019, global sugarcane production accounted for 21% of total crop production. In 2020, a total of 18.697 million tons of sugarcane were harvested globally, of which Brazil accounted for 7.571 million tons, India accounted for 3.705 million tons, China 1.081 million tons, Pakistan 810 000 tons, and Thailand 750 000 tons (Ungureanu et al., 2022). In the process of sugarcane processing, in order to obtain products such as sugar and ethanol, a large amount of solid and liquid waste is generated, including bagasse, molasses, press mud, and sugarcane waste liquid. and ash from sugarcane bagasse burning. In total, approximately 279 million tons of waste and by-products are generated globally each year. If these wastes are not properly managed, they pose significant risks to the environment and human health. However, in recent years, through waste value-added technology, these sugarcane by-products, as important biomass resources, have gradually become important raw materials for biofuels, high value-added chemicals, composite materials, and organic fertilizers (Ungureanu et al., 2022). Bagasse is the main by-product of sugarcane processing, accounting for 25%~30% of every ton of sugarcane. Brazil's sugar mills produce approximately 28 million tons of bagasse each year, about half of which is burned in sugar mill boilers to produce steam and electricity, while the remainder can be used for papermaking, biofuel production or chemical processing. Molasses is the main liquid by-product produced in the sugar industry. Each ton of sugar cane can produce about 40-50 kilograms of molasses, which is mainly used to produce ethanol, yeast and feed additives (Silalertruksa et al., 2023). Filter mud is a by-product of clarified sugar juice during the sugar production process. About 30-40 kilograms of filter mud are produced per ton of sugar cane, and it is usually used as organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. Sugarcane waste liquor (such as distillers grains after ethanol brewing) also has value-added potential and can be used for biogas fermentation, fertilizer production and biochemical synthesis. Value-added utilization of sugarcane by-products has important environmental, economic and social implications. First of all, through the resource utilization of sugarcane by-products, waste emissions can be reduced, waste reduction and resource recycling can be achieved, which can help alleviate environmental pollution and
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