PETROSS engineered two of the most productive crops in the world—sugarcane and sweet sorghum—into ultra-productive biofuel crops to help provide an indefinite and sustainable supply of bio-oil.
Increase Oil Production
Normal sugarcane and sorghum naturally produce only 0.05% oil, which is not enough to convert into biodiesel and jet fuel; however, PETROSS models showed that these plants could produce as much as 20% oil—which is equivalent to 13 times more biodiesel per acre than an acre of soybeans.
Increase Photosynthesis
PETROSS worked to develop crops that are better able to turn the sun’s light energy into chemical energy grow larger and yield more. PETROSS worked towards developing plants that photosynthesize 50% more efficiently.
Increase Cold Tolerance
Sugarcane has a limited growing region. PETROSS worked to expand its growing region form just 892,700 acres in the U.S. to 23 million acres of marginal land in the Southeastern U.S.
