A research team from the University of Oxford have identified the potential benefits of the agave plant for producing bioethanol (biofuel). The plant, which has a high sugar content, is widely grown in Mexico to make tequila.

The research, published on Friday (29th July) in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, suggests that, although it has not been widely cultivated as such, the agave plant could offer significant advantages over current biofuel crops such as corn and sugarcane.

Dr Daniel Tan, a senior lecturer in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, who led the research, said, “The agave plant is probably one of the most promising crops we can grow to produce ethanol-based fuels. It can grow in arid areas without irrigation; it doesn't compete with food crops or put demands on limited water supplies."

Dr. Tan and his co-authors, who include Sir David King, former chief scientific advisor to the UK Government, analysed the production of ethanol from the agave plant and concluded that it compared favourably with current energy crops and even offset greenhouse gas emissions better than sugarcane (7.5 tons of CO2e per hectare per year).

The agave plant can be grown on marginal land, thrives in dry environments and has a high sugar yield.  Furthermore, the plant has a positive energy balance; the energy created as bioethanol is five times that taken to produce it. Andrew Smith, professor of plant sciences at the University of Oxford, commented on the plant’s aptitude for use as an energy crop, "The characteristics of the agave – high water-use efficiency, tolerance of high temperatures, and high content of soluble sugars – suit it well to bioenergy production, but also reveal its potential as a crop that is adaptable to future global warming and climate change."

He continued, "In a world where arable land and water resources are increasingly scarce, these are key attributes in the food versus fuel arguments, which is likely to intensify given the expected large-scale growth in biofuel production."