TEMAS AGROTECNICOS

Using the data provided by David Pimentel & T.W. Patzec [Nat.Resources Res Vol14, No.1, March, 2005, I have found: a) he underestimated the Corn Yield by 5% ;todays' average yield is 9.1 MT/ha. We ca use his ethanol yield from corn to be 502 L/ MT of Carbohydrates (CHOs). Corn in USA will yield 6.7 MT, CHOs/ha; Cassava(yuca) 3.6 MT, CHOs/ha. The yield of ethanol (ETOH) in USA is hence, 4481 L/ha. Mexico's corn will yield only 1271 L/ha. On the other hand using the tropical yuca: the yields of ETOH will be Colombia, 2151 L/ha, Costa Rica, 2863 L/ha, Mexico, 2863 L/ha. The last observation is quite illuminating. The yield of yuca in Mejico and Costa Rica [15 MT/ha] needs validation. According to the FAO, both countries produce some yuca, not as much as Colombia, but the yield is quite impressive.
The success of any ETOH operation in Mejico/Costa Rica hinges on producing yuca's CHOS at lower imput cost than the USA; less cost of labour, less machinery, less cost of fuel to distill the ETOH