Jatropha Curcas For BioDiesel

Bio Diesel is the way of the future

For a truly renewable source of oil, crops or other similar cultivatable sources would have to be considered. Plants can offer a sustainable oil source for bio diesel production. Different plants produce usable oil at different rates. Some studies have shown the following annual producing capabilities as follows per hectare in liters:

Soybean - 400 - 450
Sunflower - 600 - 800
Rapeseed - 1200
Jatropha curcas - 4000

The oil producing capabilities of the Jatropha tree furthermore seemed to outmatch its nearest competition by far. Sources suggest that Jatropha curcas can even produce up to 6000 liters of oil per hectare.

Jatropha curcas, also known as the “Physic Nut” originated in the Caribbean. It’s a drought-resistant perennial, growing well in marginal soil. Easy to establish, grows relatively quickly and lives, producing seeds for 50 years. Jatropha plant produces seeds with an oil content of 35%. Early laboratory tests have shown that the oil from Jatropha curcas has, among others, the iodine value, cloud point and pour point highly desirable in bio diesel. Jatropha oil is said to be superior or comparable to many of the plant-based fuels being developed or already available in the market. The oil can be combusted as fuel without being refined. It burns with clear smoke-free flame, tested successfully as fuel for simple diesel engine. The by-products are press cake a good organic fertilizer, which contains 3.2 % Nitrogen, 1.4% phosphorus and 1.2% potash. The oil is also used as lubricants, soap, candle manufacturing and its oil, contains insecticide. It has also been reported as hair growth stimulant and thus can be used as hair oil. In animals or livestock, its application is useful against sores.

JATROPHA CURCAS - PLANTATION

Jatropha farming requires to be systematically managed for better growth and production. Its growth and seed yield could be improved through effective management methodology. The key factors that influence the plantation of Jatropha are as follows:
1. Climate
2. Quality of the soil
3. Irrigation
4. Weeding
5. Use of fertilizer
6. Crop density
7. Use of pesticide
8. Inter-cropping
9. Labour
10. Crop Yield
11. Germination
12. Process and Handling
13. Storage and Viability

Climate

Able to withstand tropical heat, and doing well in warmer areas.

Quality of the soil

Sandy well-drained soils. Can withstand very poor soils and grow in saline conditions.

Irrigation

Jatropha handles dryness very well and it is possible to live almost entirely of humidity in the air. It will also stand for long periods without water and then grow again when rains occur again.

Weeding

Standard practices are timely weeding (2 - 4 times a year), proper fertilization, surface ploughing and pruning. With these management practices a yield around 15-20 kg of fruit per tree can be obtained even, if the plants did not reach full maturity.

Use of fertilizer

Jatropha can adapt to low fertility sites and alkaline soils, better yields seem to be obtained on poor quality soils, if fertilizers containing small amounts of calcium, magnesium, and sulphur are used.
Crop density
Spacing: 2 meters X 2 meters. Wider spacing is reported to give larger yields of fruit. Plants: 2,500 of plants per hectare.

Pruning

Pruning – 1st prune. The plants need to produce side shoots for maximum sprouting and maximum flowers and seed. Between 90 and 120 days, first pruning is done when the plant attains 1 metre height, cut the top off cleanly and cut top will produce 8 – 12 side branches. It is considered good practice. In order to facilitate the harvesting, it is suggested to keep the tree less than 2 meters.

Inter-cropping

Specific intolerance with other crops was not detected. On the contrary the shade can be exploited by shade-loving herbal plants; vegetables such red and green peppers, tomatoes, etc.

Labour

Harvesting is done by hand plucking. One person could collect and decorticate 25-30 kg seed per day.

Crop Yield

It appears very difficult to estimate unequivocally the yield of a plant that is able to grow in very different conditions. Yield is a function of water, nutrients, heat and the age of the plant and other. Many different methods of establishment, farming and harvesting are possible. Oil yield from established plantations can yield around 1.5 to 2.3 tons per hectare. Yield can be enhanced with right balance of cost, yield, labour and finally cost per Mt. Seed production ranges from about 2 tons per hectare per year to over 12.5 tan/hectare/year, after 5 years of growth. Although not clearly specified, this range in production may be attributable to low and high rainfall areas.

Germination

Fresh seeds show dormancy and after-ripening is necessary before the seeds can germinate. Dry seed will normally germinate readily without pre-treatment. If this is the case, it is not recommended to remove the seed coat before sowing. Although it speeds up germination there is a risk of getting abnormal seed-lings.

Processing and Handling

The collected fruits are transported in open bags to the processing site. The harvested fruits should be sun dried for 6-8 hours until all the fruits have opened for easy removal of the seeds. It has been reported that direct sun has a negative effect on seed viability and that seeds should be dried in the shade. When the seeds are dry, they are separated from the fruits and cleaned.

Storage and Viability

The seeds should be dried to low moisture content (5-7%) and stored in air-tight containers. At room temperature, the seeds can retain high viability for one year. However, because of the high oil content the seeds cannot be expected to store for too long. Seeds older than 12 months show viability below 50%. High levels of viability and low levels of germination shortly after harvest indicate innate (primary) dormancy.

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