Jatropha – Bio Energy Crop

Jatropha is the plant with many potential advantages. As the fossil fuels are decreasing rapidly and the carbon dioxide emission released 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 desert, little care suffices 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 utilized 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 basic diesel motor. It is not a food crop given that the oil is non-edible. The oil is utilized as a standard medicine disinfectant and to treat illness like cancer, piles, snakebite, paralysis dropsy etc. The seed oil is also utilized for lighting and in soap preparation. It is seldom utilized as a live fence in avoiding crops from livestock and it occasionally utilized as residential or commercial property demarcation. It reduces the soil erosion.

The optimal growing conditions for the Jatropha plant varies from 1000 to1500 mm annual rainfall, with temperature levels of 20 to 28 C. The soil needs to be free draining with no water logging. But appropriate water and nutrition is a must 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 establishing in numerous nations. Mali is considered to be one of the poorest nations worldwide. At Mali, Garalo Jatropha Producers’ Cooperative (CPP) and the power business ACCESS are the main organizations developing jatropha growing. The personal power business ACCESS is produces and does electrical power sales. Currently 247 families are linked 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 small scale power generation projects were established in Chattisgarh, India. It is being run by Winrock International in the Kabir Dham district. This small power system provides 24-hour power supply at the extremely cost effective cost 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 illuminate rural locations with electrical power. The jatropha planting on the wastelands has the capability to provide 50-60% of the India’s fuel requirements.

The Jatropha curcas plantation in 1 hectare minimizes 20 lots of carbon dioxide annually. The largest jatropha producing nation in Asia will be Indonesia and India. In Africa, Ghana and Madagascar will be the biggest manufacturers. Brazil will be the biggest manufacturer in Latin America. The plantation is a labor intensive for this reason it develops job for many bad rural people. Above all Jatropha can be utilized as a Renewable Energy.