SUITABILITY OF GRAIN OF WHEAT AND TRITICALE FOR BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION AS DEPENDENT ON THE PROCESSING DATE AFTER MATURITY

The suitability of grains of winter wheat and winter triticale for bioethanol production as dependent on the processing date after maturity was investigated. Furthermore the correlation between falling number and the suitability of grains for autoamylolytic processing was checked. Grain material sets of two cultivars per species from two field trials were used. Species and cultivars were chosen on account of high grain yields per ha and high native enzyme activities. Partly including harvesting dates, grain sets were investigated 2 to 11 months after maturity Under addition (+e) and without an addition (-e) of technical enzymes the bioethanol output per unit of dry matter (1/dt) was analyzed. Additionally the falling numbers were determined. The output results allowed the calculation of the autoamylolytic quotient. Based on grain yields (dt/ha) bioethanol yields (1/ha) were calculated. Related to increasing periods between maturity and processing under addition of technical enzymes and particularly without technical enzymes the bioethanol output raised cultivar specifically The bioethanol surplus amounted up to 1.11 (+e) and up to 9.6 I/dt dry matter (-e) respectively. The bioethanol yields (1/ha) were reduced by cultivar specific trends according to yield depression at a delayed harvest time. Presumably the yield depression referred to grain shattering. A forecast of the autoamylolytic processing suitability by the falling numbers of the investigated grain sets proved to be doubtful. Effects of storage conditions on the suitability for processing need further investigations.