carbohydrate content of kudzu

[Garofalo]

Does anyone know the carbohydrate content of kudzu?

[gogreen]

Hi,
Found some useful info...

We determined the amount of standing biomass of kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) in naturally-infested fields in Maryland and Alabama, USA. At each site, we evaluated carbohydrate content of root, stems and leaves. For a third site from Georgia, we evaluated the carbohydrate content of roots of varying diameters. Below ground biomass in Alabama exceeded 13 tons per hectare, and contained an average of 35% fermentable carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose and starch). Roots from Georgia of all size classes contained over 60% fermentable carbohydrates. Stems were only 1-2% carbohydrates. Biomass and carbohydrate levels in roots from Maryland were low compared to plants growing in Alabama and Georgia, being on the order of 5 tons of roots per hectare with 20% nonstructural carbohydrate. Based on the yield data and carbohydrate concentration, we estimate wild kudzu stands in Alabama and Georgia could produce 5 to 10 tons of carbohydrate per hectare, which would rival carbohydrate production from corn and sugar cane fields, but without the costs associated with planting, fertilizer and pesticides. Wild kudzu thus has the potential to economically supplement existing bioethanol feedstocks, which could be of local significance to the rural economy of the southeastern USA.

see:http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=215918

[Amelia]

Does anyone know the carbohydrate content of kudzu?

The link provided at the bottom is a research done on analysing the carbohydrate content of Kudzu..
[url]
http://ddr.nal.usda.gov/bitstream/10113 ... 149320.pdf[/url]

[sreevatsansumukhi]

btw , how fast does this plant grow???

[Garofalo]

Kudzu can grow up to 7 feet (over 2 meters) per week if conditions are right. In the American South it very often does grow at this rate because of the climate and soil.

[fred]

Here is an image of how kudzu covers some parts of the American South.