Jatropha – Bio Energy Crop

Jatropha is the plant with lots of potential benefits. As the fossil fuels are decreasing quickly and the co2 emission given off from it contaminates the environment, the world is working towards an alternative fuel to overcome it.

The Jatropha curcas is the plant which can grow in semi desert, little care is enough for its development. It grows both in topical and sub tropical area. The jatropha seed includes 35 percent oil content in it. The oil from jatropha can be used as biodiesel blend up to 20% without refining. The oil burns with clear smoke-free flame, and was evaluated successfully as a fuel for easy diesel engine. It is not a food crop given that the oil is non-edible. The oil is used as a conventional medication disinfectant and to cure illness like cancer, stacks, snakebite, paralysis dropsy etc. The seed oil is also utilized for lighting and in soap preparation. It is seldom used as a live fence in preventing crops from livestock and it occasionally used as residential or commercial property separation. It reduces the soil erosion.

The optimum growing conditions for the Jatropha plant varies from 1000 to1500 mm annual rains, with temperatures of 20 to 28 C. The soil should be complimentary draining pipes without any water logging. But adequate water and nutrition is a needs to for high yield. The jatropha is easy to grow and it can bear the seeds within a year of planting. It supplies oxygen for the world and it can grow even in bad soil. It can not endure frost.

The Jatropha Electrification is developing in many nations. Mali is considered to be among the poorest countries in the world. 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 generates and does electrical energy sales. Currently 247 homes are linked to the micro grid after a payment of $30 as a contribution to the connection expenses. Likewise in India, the Rural Technology (REST) objective of the Ministry of Power (MOP) preparation to produce power for all by 2012. The little scale power generation tasks were developed in Chattisgarh, India. It is being run by Winrock International in the Kabir Dham district. This small power system supplies 24-hour power supply at the very economical rate of 50 cents per light bulb to poor villagers. It is 17.5 KW capacity power plant runs on raw jatropha seed oil.Jatropha is a promising crop for rural development. The jatropha oil lights up rural locations with electrical energy. The jatropha planting on the wastelands has the ability to supply 50-60% of the India’s fuel requirements.

The Jatropha curcas plantation in 1 hectare minimizes 20 heaps of carbon dioxide annually. The largest jatropha producing country in Asia will be Indonesia and India. In Africa, Ghana and Madagascar will be the biggest producers. Brazil will be the biggest manufacturer in Latin America. The plantation is a labor intensive procedure hence it creates job for numerous poor rural people. Above all Jatropha can be utilized as a Renewable Energy.