Moisture Loss and Ash Characterization of High-Tonnage Sorghum

Field drying dedicated energy crops may be required to improve biomass logistics by using conditioning and windrow manipulation to facilitate in-field moisture loss. These methods are thought to significantly impact ash concentrations, which reduces the feedstock quality. The objectives of the paper are to characterize ash compositions of two high-tonnage sorghum varieties by fraction and maturity, and quantify ash increases due to conditioning, raking harvesting, and storage. A sorghum-sudan variety was planted under a ratoon-cropping system, and energy sorghum planted under a single-harvest system. Standing crop samples were collected prior to harvest and fractioned according to stalk thirds and leaf to determine ash composition differences by plant fraction and maturity. After conditioning, windrow samples were collected to monitor moisture loss and ash entrainment and provide a basis for subsequent raking manipulation. A modified cotton module builder was used to create large packages for storage, and samples gathered at three heights and various depths to characterize ash compositional changes during the storage duration. The plant leaf fractions were found to be significantly greater than the stalk fractions, and ash composition differed by variety and with maturity. No significant amount of soil was entrained in the windrows due to conditioning and multiple raking events. Moisture distributions within the modules significantly changed with storage, and ash was only significant for the low moisture module at the surface where degradation was apparent. The higher moisture package did not significantly change ash compositions.

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