NexSteppe said it has sold over 1,000ha of its Palo Alto high biomass sorghums for biopower in Brazil this past season.
The company’s Palo Alto high biomass sorghums provide a cost-effective feedstock for power and electricity generation in Brazil.
NexSteppe said due to the significant drought in 2014, Brazil is experiencing a shortage of hydropower, which is the country’s main energy source.
The company claims that due to their heat and drought tolerance, Palo Alto hybrids performed well even under extreme conditions in 2014.
NexSteppe South America commercial director Tatiana Gonsalves said, "In addition to product quality and performance, a large part of our success this year was due to our strong focus on development of technical information regarding optimal agronomic and management practices for this new crop and transferring this information to our customers."
Other features of Palo Alto high biomass sorghum hybrids include reduced harvest and transport costs and greater energy production.
NexSteppe CEO Anna Rath said the company is focused on bringing to market feedstock products that will allow the biobased industries to achieve sustainability.
"Our Palo Alto high biomass sorghums in Brazil are a first example of this. We believe these products will play a critical role in enabling the continued development of these industries in Brazil and around the world," Rath said.