M.C. En Agroecosistemas Tropicales

Mapping sugar cane yield for bioethanol production in
Veracruz, México
Jesus Uresti Gil1
Héctor Daniel Inurreta Aguirre2
Elibeth Torres Benítez2
Roberto de Jesús López Escudero2
1

Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP)
e-mail: uresti.jesus@inifap.gob.mx
2

Colegio de Postgraduados
e-mail: inurreta.hector@colpos.mx

Abstract
Bioethanolfrom sugar cane is accepted as the most cost, energy and greenhouse gas
mitigation efficient biofuel to substitute fossil gasoline. Bioethanol yield may be increased if
residues (tops, leaves and bagasse) are used for cellulosic bioethanol production.
However, to efficiently achieve maximum biomass yield and avoid competition with food
production, highly and marginally productive areas most beidentified. The objective was to
map sugar cane yield in Veracruz, to assist decision makers in planning rural development
and bioethanol refineries establishment. The SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool)
model was used to simulate total sugar cane biomass yield throughout the 7.18 million
hectare of Veracruz. To define the Hydrological Response Units, base digital elevation
model, soils andland use maps scale 1:250,000 and 90x90m pixel size, acquired from
INEGI were used. Weather data was taken from 160 uniformly distributed weather stations
with at least 20 years of records between years 1960-2000. The sugar cane management
was designed for highest yield attainment. Most sensitive crop parameters such as LAI,
RUE, Tb, HU, biomass partition and rooting depth were taken frompreviously local
research and peer review literature. Total theoretical bioethanol (sugar ethanol + cellulose
+ hemicellulose ethanol) was calculated and mapped. Results are presented and
discussed in terms of ten productivity class maps of sugar cane biomass and total (Sugar
+ Cellulose + hemicellulose) theoretical bioethanol yield and amount and spatial
distribution of highly and marginallyproductive areas.

Keywords: Biofuel, Geographical Information Systems, ArcSwat, Simulation Models, Rural
Development
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1. Introduction
Bioethanol from sugar cane sugars is worldwide accepted as the most costly, energy and
greenhouse gas mitigation efficient biofuel to substitute fossil gasoline. At global scale,
since the early 70’s Brazil produces the largest amount of sugar canebioethanol and is
planning to increase production (IICA, 2007, Carvalho-Junior et al., 2008). In Mexico,
bioethanol production from sugar cane is incipient, however many public and private
instances are strongly promoting its production and use (SAGARPA, 2007; SENER, 2007;
DOF-SENER, 2009).
Some of the reasons why the sugar cane crop is worldwide strongly promoted as
bioenergy crop are the largecapacity to produce biomass and sugars at an acceptable
cost-effective ratio; and the Net Energy Ratio (NER) and reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions, which are placed among the largest for sugar crops. The fresh cane yield under
rain fed conditions are around 73, 84, 93, 110 t ha-1 in México (SIAP, 2011), India, South
Africa and Colombia, respectively (Goldenberg and Guardabassi, 2010) withbioethanol
yield ranging from 6,000 to 8,500 L ha-1. Menichetti and Otto, (2009), FAO (2008) and
Liska and Cassman (2008), Goldemberg and Guardabassi, (2010), reported NER values
of 8, 2 and 1.5 for bioethanol from sugar cane, sugar beet and corn, respectively. The
reported figures for bioethanol greenhouse reduction emissions are between 70 and 90%
for sugar cane, between 40 and 60% for sugarbeet and between 10 and 30% for corn.
Bioethanol yield per unit area, NER and reduction of greenhouse gasses emission may be
increased if cane residues (tops, leaves and bagasse) are used for cellulose +
hemicellulose bioethanol production.
However, for the implementation of projects to efficiently achieve maximum total sugar and
biomass yield and avoid competition with food production,...