Compatibility studies on sweet sorghum and legumes in sole and intercropping systems for biomass and bioethanol production

Adoption of multiple intercropping for increasing land productivity and biodiversity has special significance for current and future biomass and bioenergy demands for the mitigation of environmental issues. In dry seasons of 2009/10 and 2010/11, biomass and bioethanol production of eight intercropping patterns of sweet sorghum composed of two legumes (viz. soybean and mungbean), two planting patterns (viz. alternative single rows and alternate double rows), and two seeding times (viz. simultaneous and staggered seeding) were evaluated together with three sole crops. The theoretical bioethanol yield was highest in sweet sorghum-soybean intercropping established with staggered seeding (16,673 L ha -1 , 13,410 L ha -1 ), that was greater by 8% and 7% , respectively, compared to sweet sorghum sole crop in both the years. The same combination gave above-ground biomass of intercropped sweet sorghum at par in the first year but was higher by 0.7 t ha-1 in the second year compared to the sole crop of sweet sorghum. Cellulose, hemi-cellulose, soluble sugar, and starch contents in intercropped