Performance and productivity in bioethanol of starchy plants of the varieties Colocasia esculenta and Dioscorea alata in the district of Befandriana Nord.

BIOTECHNOLOGIE

The aim of this research project is to produce bioethanol from two starchy plants: yam, or oviala in Malagasy, of the alata species, in the Dioscorea family, and taro, or saonjo dia, in the Aracaeae family. Both plants are abundant in the Sofia region, in particular in the Befandriana Nord district. They are used as a substitute food during the lean season. Because of their high starch content, they meet the criteria for bioethanol production. This research project involves converting yam and taro tubers into bioethanol using enzymatic hydrolysis technology. Tuber flour is hydrolyzed by amylases derived from sprouted paddy grains, fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and then distilled. Two identical 8,000 g samples of taro and yam tubers were transformed into bioethanol under the same conditions in the laboratory of the Centre National de Recherches Industrielle et Technologique (CNRIT). Results showed that optimal fermentation parameters correspond to a yeast content of 5% and a fermentation time of 3 days. The attenuation rate for taro is more significant (62.50%) than for yam (56.25%). From the distillation point of view, the volume of ethanol obtained is 6228 ml for taro versus 6083 ml for yam. Alcohol content ranged from 10° to 72°GL for taro and 9° to 70°GL for yam. Rectification of 6228 ml of ethanol yielded 2771 ml of bioethanol, 2149 ml of which had an alcoholic strength ranging from 82° to 92°GL, i.e. 77.55%, while the remainder, 622 ml, had an alcoholic strength ranging from 65° to 72°GL.

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