In this study, we demonstrate that the sorghum field waste, sorghum stover could be used to produce fuel grade ethanol. The alkaline treatment of 2% NaOH for 8 h removed 64% of lignin from sorghum stover. Maximum of 68 and 56 g/L of ethanol yield were obtained by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (MTCC 173) and Pachysolen tannophilus (MTCC 1077) from sorghum stover under optimized condition, respectively. pH and temperature were optimized for the better growth of S. cerevisiae and P. tannophilus. A total of 51% and 48% more ethanol yield was obtained at initial sugar concentration of 200 g/L than 150 g/L by P. tannophilus and S. cerevisiae. respectively. Respiratory deficiency and ethanol tolerance of the organisms were studied. This investigation showed that sorghum field waste could be effectively used for the production of fuel ethanol to avoid conflicts between human food use and industrial use of crops. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.