Researchers at the University of Illinois claim that the Agave plant (used in making tequila) could be a great source of biofuel.
According to some articles published in the journal Global Change Biology Bioenergy, two Agave species greatly exceeded the yields of other biofuel feedstocks such as sorghum, corn, soybean and wheat.
“We need bioenergy crops that have a low risk of unintended land use change. Biomass from Agave can be harvested as a co-product of tequila production without additional land demands,” said Sarah Davis, a bioenergy analyst.
In different locations from Mexico and Africa there are a few abandoned Agave plantations (that had been used to support the natural fiber market) that could be reclaimed as bioenergy croplands.
“More research on Agave species is warranted to determine the tolerance ranges of the highest yielding varieties that would be most viable for bioenergy production in semi-arid regions of the world,” she added.
As the scientists said, Agace is the perfect source of biofuel, having the possibility to be cultivated in Australia, Mexico and Africa.
