Introducing the Ethanol Grain Quality Solution

Corn feedstock is the single biggest input cost for an ethanol plant, and ethanol yield per bushel is one of the biggest drivers of plant profitability. Higher grain quality means higher ethanol yield per bushel.

According to Chris Tingle, head of Enogen and water solutions at Syngenta, ethanol facilities are increasingly seeking not just clean, dry corn with little or no damage or foreign material, but also grain with quality characteristics that can help maximize ethanol production.

“A growing demand for high-quality feedstock is creating opportunities for growers to increase their income per acre,” Tingle says. “By supplying the quality grain that ethanol plants want all year long, growers can maximize profitability, while helping fuel the future of rural America.”

Syngenta designed the Ethanol Grain Quality Solution specifically for growers who plant Enogen^®, Golden Harvest^® and NK^® Corn hybrids. Its goals are to raise yields and drive grain quality through effective insect control, early-season weed management, glyphosate weed-resistance management, and Crop Enhancement (the Syngenta global business focused on minimizing the effects of nonliving factors, such as heat, wind and rain, on plants). The Ethanol Grain Quality Solution provides the ethanol plant and its growers more high-quality grain, while improving return on investment.

“Growers with an Enogen contract can receive an additional 10 cents per bushel premium above the current Enogen contract premium by following protocols outlined in the Ethanol Grain Quality Solution,” Tingle says. “Plus, growers who have purchased Golden Harvest or NK Corn can receive 10 cents more per bushel for any additional bushels of corn produced under the Ethanol Grain Quality Solution protocol, provided those bushels are delivered to the ethanol plant.”

The Ethanol Grain Quality Solution is currently being piloted at a growing number of ethanol plants. To learn more, visit the Ethanol Grain Quality Solution webpage or call (844) 661-4632.