Agricultural Research Journal

Second-generation biofuels, made from sources like wood, straw, microalgae, and vegetable waste, offer an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels. The study aims to investigate the fermentation of four types of vegetable waste (carrot, cucumber, potato, and pumpkin) using Saccharomyces cerevisiae to optimize the process for maximum ethanol yield. Optimal conditions for fermentation of carrot, pumpkin and potato were 30°C and pH 4 with maximum ethanol yield of 4.18%; whereas for cucumber, it was 37°C and pH 5. Further improvements, such as pretreatment methods and employing efficient strains of yeast, could enhance the process and enable large-scale implementation, effectively moving towards a zero-waste paradigm.