Crop yields, increasing sugarcane

The disadvantage of using starch as a raw material in comparison with oil-derived chemicals is the cost. Consider, for example, the conversion of starch into polyethylene via its fermentation to ethyl alcohol and subsequent dehydration of the latter [37], the maximum yield of ethylene produced from starch being close to 35%. However, the increase in oil prices and the ecological and political concerns associated with the oil-based economy could in the near future make starch a viable raw material along with other crops such as sugarcane and cellulose from wood and agricultural residues. 

Ripening Agent. A new potential use for vanillin is as a ripening agent to increase the yield of sucrose in sugarcane by the treatment of the cane crop a few weeks before harvest. 

Vanillin itself has some bacteriostatic properties and therefore has been used in formulations to treat dermatitis. Hydrazones of vanillin have been shown to have a herbicidal action similar lo that of 2.4-D, and the zinc salts of dithiovanillic acid. A new potential use for vanillin is as a ripening agent to increase the yield of sucrose in sugarcane by the treatment of the cane crop a few weeks before harvest... 

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