Jatropha – Bio Energy Crop

Jatropha is the plant with numerous potential advantages. As the nonrenewable fuel sources are decreasing quickly and the co2 emission given off from it contaminates the atmosphere, the world is working towards an alternative fuel to overcome it.

The Jatropha curcas is the plant which can grow in semi dry region, little care is enough for its growth. It grows both in topical and sub tropical region. The jatropha seed contains 35 percent oil content in it. The oil from jatropha can be used as biodiesel blend as much as 20% without refining. The oil burns with clear smoke-free flame, and was evaluated effectively as a fuel for easy diesel engine. It is not a food crop since the oil is non-edible. The oil is used as a standard medicine and to treat diseases like cancer, stacks, snakebite, paralysis dropsy etc. The seed oil is also used for lighting and in soap preparation. It is hardly ever used as a live fence in preventing crops from animals and it periodically used as home demarcation. It minimizes the soil disintegration.

The maximum growing conditions for the Jatropha plant ranges from 1000 to1500 mm annual rainfall, with temperatures of 20 to 28 C. The soil must be complimentary draining without any water logging. But sufficient water and nutrition is a should for high yield. The jatropha is simple to grow and it can bear the seeds within a year of planting. It offers oxygen for the planet and it can grow even in poor soil. It can not stand up to frost.

The Jatropha Electrification is developing in numerous countries. Mali is thought about to be one of the poorest countries worldwide. At Mali, Garalo Jatropha Producers’ Cooperative (CPP) and the power business ACCESS are the main institutions establishing jatropha cultivation. The private power business ACCESS is creates and does electrical energy sales. Currently 247 homes are connected to the micro grid after a payment of $30 as a contribution to the connection costs. Likewise in India, the Rural Electricity Supply Technology (REST) mission of the Ministry of Power (MOP) planning to produce power for all by 2012. The little scale power generation tasks were established in Chattisgarh, India. It is being run by Winrock International in the Kabir Dham district. This small power system offers 24-hour power supply at the very inexpensive price of 50 cents per light bulb to poor villagers. It is 17.5 KW capability power plant runs on raw jatropha seed oil.Jatropha is an appealing crop for rural development. The jatropha oil lights up backwoods with electricity. The jatropha planting on the wastelands has the ability to provide 50-60% of the India’s fuel requirements.

The Jatropha curcas plantation in 1 hectare decreases 20 lots of carbon dioxide each year. The largest jatropha producing nation in Asia will be Indonesia and India. In Africa, Ghana and Madagascar will be the biggest producers. Brazil will be the largest producer in Latin America. The plantation is a labor intensive process for this reason it produces task for lots of poor rural individuals. Above all Jatropha can be used as a Renewable resource.