This cereal relies heavily on the availability of nitrogen in the soil; it has high contents of both glucan and xylan (40.8% and 22.3% respectively) (Petersson et al., 2007).

1.8.3 Corn stover

This is what remains on the ground after maize has been harvested. This raw material is abundantly available and demands no further investment in biomass, although not all of the corn stover can be removed — 30% of it must be left on the ground to prevent erosion (by facilitating water infiltration and reducing evaporation), and as the main source of soil organic carbon (SOC) in order to preserve the soil’s productivity. Corn stover contains polymeric hemicellulose and cellulose, but their biodegradability by glycosidase is strongly inhibited by a small quantity (12-15%) of lignin (Gressel, 2008; Varvel et al., 2007).

1.9 Jerusalem artichoke (helianthus tuberosus)

This plant grows in summer, reaching its maximum height in July and dying in October. The tubers are rich in inulin (a fructose polymer), which can be used to obtain a syrup for use both in the foodstuffs industry and in the production of ethanol. It was demonstrated (Curt et al., 2006) that, towards the end of the season, the potential for bioethanol production of the stems of clones is 38% of that of the tubers.