What plants are used for biofuel?

A wide range of plants are used for biofuel, chiefly sugar- and starch-rich crops (sugarcane, corn, sugar beet, wheat, cassava, sorghum), oilseed crops (soybean, rapeseed/canola, sunflower, palm, camelina, carinata, jatropha, pongamia, pennycress), lignocellulosic energy crops and trees (switchgrass, miscanthus, energy cane, poplar, willow, eucalyptus), and aquatic biomass such as algae and seaweeds; regionally, corn and soybean dominate in the United States, sugarcane in Brazil, rapeseed in Europe, and palm in Southeast Asia, while advanced fuels increasingly target perennials, residues, and novel oilseeds for lower carbon intensity.

Ethanol feedstocks: sugar- and starch-rich crops

Fuel ethanol is primarily produced by fermenting sugars or starches that are then distilled into ethanol. These crops are favored for high fermentable carbohydrate content, established agronomy, and existing processing infrastructure.

• Sugarcane: The global leader for efficient ethanol production, especially in Brazil, thanks to high sugar yields and bagasse for process energy.
• Corn (maize): The dominant U.S. ethanol feedstock; kernels provide starch readily converted to sugars for fermentation.
• Sugar beet: Important in Europe; high sucrose content and cold-season agronomy complement rotations.
• Wheat: Used in Europe and parts of Canada; versatile starch source when grain markets favor fuel use.
• Cassava (manioc): Grown in Southeast Asia and Africa; high-starch roots suitable for ethanol where cassava is abundant.
• Sorghum (grain and sweet sorghum): Grain sorghum substitutes for corn; sweet sorghum stalks provide fermentable juice in warm regions.

These crops underpin first-generation ethanol due to mature supply chains, though attention is shifting toward lower-impact options and cellulosic routes as policies favor lower lifecycle emissions.

Oils for biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)

Bio-based diesel and SAF are produced by transesterifying oils into biodiesel (FAME) or hydrotreating them into renewable diesel/jet fuels. Plant oils vary in yield, fatty acid profiles, and sustainability considerations.

• Soybean: The largest oilseed in the Americas; widely used for biodiesel and increasingly as a renewable diesel feedstock.
• Rapeseed/Canola: A key European and Canadian oilseed; favorable cold-flow properties for biodiesel.
• Sunflower: Used in Europe and parts of Asia; high-quality oil suitable for biodiesel.
• Oil palm: Very high oil yield in tropical regions; significant sustainability scrutiny due to deforestation and peat impacts.
• Camelina: A short-season oilseed and cover crop in temperate regions; targeted for renewable diesel/SAF with promising low-carbon profiles.
• Carinata (Ethiopian mustard): Emerging industrial oilseed for SAF feedstock contracts; suited to rotation in subtropical and warm-temperate areas.
• Jatropha: Non-edible oilseed shrub once hyped for marginal lands; now used in targeted projects where agronomy and yields are proven.
• Pongamia (Millettia pinnata): A leguminous tree producing oil-rich pods; being developed in Australia, India, and the U.S. for long-term oil supply.
• Pennycress (field pennycress/CoverCress): A winter annual cover crop in North America that yields oil for renewable diesel/SAF with added soil health benefits.
• Coconut (copra): Niche biodiesel feedstock in island nations; valued for local energy security.

While waste oils and fats dominate many current renewable diesel and SAF pathways, these plant oils remain important—especially where grown as rotation or cover crops that improve soil and reduce indirect land-use change.

Cellulosic biofuels from grasses, woods, and residues

Second-generation biofuels aim to use lignocellulosic biomass—non-food plant material including dedicated perennials and short-rotation trees—converted via biochemical (enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation) or thermochemical (gasification, pyrolysis) routes into ethanol, gasoline, diesel, or jet-range fuels.

• Switchgrass: A deep-rooted North American prairie grass; resilient, with good yields on marginal lands.
• Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus): A sterile hybrid grass with exceptional biomass productivity in temperate zones.
• Energy cane: High-fiber sugarcane types bred for cellulosic ethanol and power co-generation.
• Sorghum (biomass types): Tall, high-fiber cultivars suited to lignocellulosic conversion or anaerobic digestion.
• Napier/elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum): Tropical/subtropical high-yield forage adapted for bioenergy.
• Short-rotation woody crops: Poplar, willow, and eucalyptus grown on short cycles for chips and pellets.
• Forestry byproducts and thinnings: Slash, sawdust, and mill residues as consistent lignocellulosic inputs.
• Agricultural residues (from plants): Corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw, and sugarcane bagasse/trash used where sustainable removal rates protect soils.

These feedstocks offer lower lifecycle emissions and reduced food competition, with co-benefits like soil carbon gains from perennials; the main challenges remain logistics, preprocessing costs, and conversion efficiency at scale.

Algae and aquatic plants

Photosynthetic aquatic biomass attracts interest for high potential oil or carbohydrate yields without competing directly with arable land. Commercial fuels remain limited, but research and early deployments continue.

• Microalgae: Oil-rich species (e.g., Nannochloropsis) cultivated in ponds or photobioreactors for lipids convertible to renewable diesel/SAF; currently constrained by cost.
• Macroalgae (seaweeds such as kelp): Carbohydrate-rich biomass explored for biogas, ethanol, and biocrude via hydrothermal liquefaction.
• Duckweed (Lemna): Fast-growing floating plants with starch and protein; studied for ethanol and biogas with wastewater co-benefits.
• Water hyacinth and other aquatic macrophytes: Invasive plants used in small-scale biogas projects and as co-digestion substrates.

Algal and aquatic systems can integrate with wastewater treatment and coastal farming, but scalable, cost-competitive fuel production remains a key hurdle compared with terrestrial crops and waste lipids.

Biogas and biomethane energy crops

Beyond liquid fuels, plants are widely used for biogas via anaerobic digestion, upgraded to biomethane for pipeline gas or transport. Selection emphasizes high digestibility and year-round supply.

• Maize (corn) silage: A mainstay in European digesters due to reliable yields and methane potential.
• Ryegrass and mixed forages: Perennial grasses that fit well in rotations and grazing systems.
• Triticale, rye, and whole-crop cereals: Cool-season options for spring or winter digestion windows.
• Sugar beet and beet tops: High biogas yields from roots and leafy residues.
• Sorghum-sudan hybrids and energy grasses: Drought-tolerant alternatives in warmer climates.

In many regions, policies are encouraging a pivot from dedicated energy crops to manure, food waste, and crop residues; still, strategic use of cover crops and forages can stabilize digester operations and enhance soil health.

Sustainability considerations

Which plants are “best” for biofuel depends on their full lifecycle impacts and local context. The factors below guide feedstock selection and policy design.

• Land-use change: Avoiding deforestation and peat conversion is critical to realizing climate benefits.
• Food versus fuel: Prioritizing residues, cover crops, and non-food perennials reduces competition with food systems.
• Water and inputs: Drought tolerance, low fertilizer needs, and integrated pest management improve footprints.
• Soil and biodiversity: Perennials and diversified rotations can build soil carbon, reduce erosion, and support habitat.
• Logistics and infrastructure: Densification, storage, and proximity to biorefineries are decisive for cellulosic feedstocks.
• Co-products and circularity: Using bagasse for process energy, digestate as fertilizer, and integrating with waste streams boosts sustainability.

Aligning crop choice with regional agronomy, existing infrastructure, and robust certification schemes helps ensure biofuels deliver genuine emissions reductions and social benefits.

Regional highlights

United States: Corn for ethanol and soybean/canola for biodiesel and renewable diesel dominate; cellulosic efforts focus on corn stover, switchgrass, and miscanthus, with growing interest in camelina and pennycress as cover-crop oils for SAF. Brazil: Sugarcane leads ethanol with energy cane and bagasse powering mills; soy and, to a lesser extent, palm contribute to biodiesel. European Union: Wheat and sugar beet supply ethanol; rapeseed dominates biodiesel; biogas relies on maize silage, forages, and increasingly residues; miscanthus and short-rotation coppice see expansion under climate policies. Southeast Asia: Oil palm is prevalent for biodiesel, with sustainability certifications influencing market access; cassava contributes to ethanol. Africa and India: Sorghum, cassava, and sugarcane support ethanol; pongamia and sweet sorghum are gaining attention in semi-arid zones.

Emerging and niche feedstocks to watch

Breeding, biotechnology, and new value-chain partnerships are expanding the roster of plant feedstocks tailored for low-carbon fuels, especially SAF.

• Improved camelina and carinata varieties with higher oil content and better fit as winter cover crops.
• Pennycress lines (e.g., CoverCress) optimized for harvestability and oil yield between main cash crops.
• Energy cane and high-biomass sorghums designed for cellulosic ethanol and cogeneration.
• Industrial hemp for seed oil (biodiesel) and hurd/fiber for cellulosic ethanol or biogas.
• Enhanced miscanthus and switchgrass cultivars with improved conversion characteristics.

These feedstocks aim to deliver lower lifecycle carbon intensity by leveraging off-season planting windows, marginal lands, and perennials that require fewer inputs and build soil carbon.

Bottom line

Plants used for biofuel span sugars and starches (sugarcane, corn, beets, cassava, sorghum), oilseeds (soy, rapeseed/canola, sunflower, palm, camelina, carinata, jatropha, pongamia, pennycress), lignocellulosic perennials and trees (switchgrass, miscanthus, energy cane, poplar, willow, eucalyptus), and aquatic biomass (algae, kelp, duckweed). The most sustainable choices are region-specific and increasingly emphasize perennials, cover crops, residues, and certified supply chains to minimize land-use change and maximize climate benefits.

What is the best crop for biofuel?

For the production of bioethanol, the most suitable energy crops are species rich in sugars, such as sugar cane, sugar beet, corn, sweet sorghum, oats, barley, and rye.

Which crop is most commonly used to make biofuels?

Examples of biofuel crops include corn, soybeans, sugarcane, rapeseed (canola), sunflower, wheat, sugar beet, and palm oil. These are used to produce biofuels like bioethanol from sugar and starch crops (like corn and sugarcane) and biodiesel from oilseed crops (like soybean and rapeseed). 
Here’s a breakdown of common biofuel crops by their primary use: 

• For Bioethanol:
  • Corn
  • Sugarcane
  • Wheat
  • Sugar beet
  • Sweet sorghum
• For Biodiesel:
  • Soybeans
  • Rapeseed (canola)
  • Sunflowers
  • Palm oil

These crops are processed to extract their sugars, starches, or oils, which are then converted into biofuels through fermentation or other chemical processes.

Which plant produces biodiesel?

the Jatropha plant
Jatropha is a Flowering plant.
While Malaysia uses Palm Oil, the US uses Soyabean and European nations use sunflower seeds for the production of biodiesel, the Indian government preferred to use the Jatropha plant for the production of biodiesel.

What are plant-based biofuels?

Plant-based biofuels are made from renewable biomass, such as crops and agricultural waste, and can be used to power vehicles, generate electricity, and heat buildings.