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Introduction
The energy crop that produces biofuels and holds particular promise for sustainable development and a sustainable environment is Jatropha
a non-food crops. The seeds of Jatropha contain 27-40% oil that can be processed to
produce a high-quality biodiesel fuel, usable in a standard diesel engine.
Since feedstock is the single largest cost component in biodiesel production, this considerably less expensive feed stock give the producers a significant cost advantage over producers use rapeseed and soybean oil. To break the link between biodiesel feedstock and food products; Jatropha
a non-food oil bearing crops are the cheapest and the viable business propositions.
Recently artificial blood vessels were developed from Jatropa by IIT-Madras.
Jatropha plant begin to produce at 4-5 months and reach full productivity at about 3
years. The female flowers are 4-5 times more numerous than the male ones. |
Jatropha curcas plant |
Common Name
Family name: Euphorbiaceae
Latin
name: Jatropha Curcas L
English name : Purging Tree, Curcas Nut, Physic Nut, castor oil
Sanskrit:
kananaeranda, kananaerend, parvataranda
Hindi:
Ratanjyot, bagbherenda, jangliarandi, safedarand
Bengali:
bagbherenda, erandagachh
Tamil: kadalamanakku,
kattamanakku
Telgu:
Pepalam
Malayalam Katamanak
Gujarathi - Jepal
Nepal : kadam
Chinese:
yu-lu-tzu : |
Jatropha curcas seeds |
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Jatropha curcas Plant
Jatropha curcas
is a small evergreen shrub, 3 to 4 meters high of significant importance
with several industrial and medicinal uses. In India it is found almost in all states
and Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are the main states cultivating this crop.
It is with smooth gray bark, which exudes a whitish colored, watery, latex when cut.
Leaves: It has large green to pale-green leaves, alternate to sub-opposite, three-to five-lobed with a spiral
phyllotaxis. It shedding the leaves in the dry season.
Flowers: The petiole length ranges between 6-23 mm. The inflorescence is formed in the leaf axil. Flowers are formed terminally, individually, with female flowers usually slightly larger and occurs in the hot seasons. In conditions where continuous growth occurs, an unbalance of pistillate or staminate flower production results in a higher number of female flowers. Flowering occurs during the wet season and two flowering peaks are often seen. In permanently
hu-mid regions, flowering occurs throughout the year. .
Fruits: Fruits are produced in winter when the shrub is leafless, or it may produce several crops during the year if soil moisture is good and temperatures are sufficiently high. Each inflorescence yields a bunch of
approximately 10 or more ovoid fruits. A three, bi-valved cocci is formed after the seeds mature and the fleshy exocarp dries.
Seeds: The seeds become mature when the capsule changes from green to yellow, after two to four
months. The seeds mature about three months after flowering.
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Plantation and Cultivation
Jatropha curcus is a drought-resistant perennial, growing well in marginal/poor soil. It is easy to establish, grows relatively quickly and lives, producing seeds for 50 years. Jatropha curcas grows almost anywhere , even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can thrive
also on the stony soil.
The plant is easily propagated by direct seeding, precultivation of seedlings,
transplanting of spontaneous wild plants and direct planting of cuttings. Seed
should be collected when capsules split open. Use of fresh seeds improves
germination. Intervals of presoaking and drying, or partial removal of the
testa, are more successful than presoaking alone. With good moisture conditions,
germination takes 10 days. The seed shell splits, the radicula emerges and 4
small peripheral roots are formed. Soon after development of the 1st leaves, the
cotyledons wither and fall off. Further growth is sympodial.
Seedlings are susceptible to competition from weeds during their early
development. Therefore weed control, either mechanical or with herbicides, is
required during the establishment phase. Satisfactory planting widths are 2 x 2
m, 2.5 x 2.5 m, and 3 x 3 m. This is equivalent to crop densities of 2500, 1600
and 1111 plants/ha, respectively. Under good rainfall conditions, nursery plants
bear fruit after the 1st rainy season, while directly seeded plants bear for the
1st time after the 2nd rainy season. With vegetative propagation, the 1st seed
yield is higher. At least 2-3 t of seeds/ha can be achieved in semi-arid areas. | |
History of Jatropha curcas
The centre of origin of
Jatropha curcus is
believed to be Mexico and Central America.The specific name, curcas, was
first used by Portuguese doctor Garcia de Orta more than 400 years ago
It has been introduced to Africa and Asia and is now culti-vated world-wide. This highly drought-resistant spe-cies is adapted to arid and semi-arid conditions.
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Uses of Jatropha curcas
Source of biofuel
Jatropha
plant is a prominent and cheap source of biofuel. The oil obtained from decorticated seeds by expression or solvent extraction is known in the trade as 'Jatropha Oil'. The Crude oil can be processed & Used as Biofuel or Substitute HSD to the tune of 20%
blend. This is an environmentally safe, cost effective and renewable source of non-conventional energy as a promising substitute to Diesel, Kerosene, LPG, Coal,
firewood, etc.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 bi-product glycerin emanating out of biodiesel is used for soap making. Biogas is also produced from oil cake and it contains 70 percent methane. Its degradation rate is 70- 80 per cent. Bio-diesel is a nontoxic,
biodegradable 100% natural energy alternative to petroleum fuel. It is an environmentally friendly fuel.
Lipids: The seeds yield up to 31-37% of a valuable oil. It is used to prepare
varnish after calcination with iron oxides. Hardened Jatropha oil could be a
satisfactory substitute for tallow or hardened rice bran oil. In Europe it is
used in wool spinning and textile manufacture. Along with burnt plantain ashes, oil is used in making hard homemade soap.
Wax: The bark contains a wax composed of a mixture of ‘melissyl alcohol’ and its
melissimic acid ester.
Erosion control: Jatropha curcas was recently planted in arid areas for
soil-erosion control. in Cape Verde
Nitrogen fixing: Press cake cannot be used in animal feed because of its toxic
properties, but it is valuable as organic manure due to a nitrogen content
similar to that of seed cake from castor bean and chicken manure. The nitrogen
content ranges from 3.2 to 3.8%, depending on the source. Tender branches and
leaves are used as a green manure for coconut trees. All plant parts can be used as a green manure.
Boundary support: Widely cultivated in the tropics as a living
fence in fields and settlements. Jatropha is not browsed by cattle;
so it can grow without protection and can be used as a hedge to protect fields.
Salt substitute: It roots ashes are used as a salt substitute. HCN and Rotenone are present.
Medicinal Properties
Jatropha
is used for diseases like cancer, piles, snakebite, paralysis, dropsy etc.
Jatropha
1-2 roasted seeds are reported to act as a
purgative but larger doses may be dangerous. The seeds have been substituted for castor oil and are sometimes called ‘larger castor oil’.
The oil is widely used for skin diseases and to soothe pain such as that caused by rheumatism .
Jatropha
oil is used to stimulate hair growth. The seeds are also used in the
treatment of syphilis.
Juice or latex of
Jatropha
is applied directly to wounds and cuts as a styptic and
astringent to clean teeth, gums, and to treat sores on the tongue and in the mouth.
Jatropha
also has coagulating effects on blood plasma. A methanol extract of
Jatropha
leaves afforded moderate protection for cultured human lymphoblastoid cells against the cytopathic
effects of the human immunodeficiency virus.
Preparations of the
Jatropha
plant, including seeds, leaves and bark, fresh or as a
decoction, are used in traditional medicine and for veterinary purposes. A leaf
infusion is used as a diuretic, for bathing, to treat coughs, and as an enema in
treating convulsions and fits. Leaves are also used to treat jaundice, fevers,
rheumatic pains, guinea worm sores and poor development of the fetus in pregnant
women. The leaves produce a sap that has haemostatic properties; it is used to
dress wounds. In Ghana the ashes from the burnt leaves are applied by rectal
injection for haemorrhoids. The root bark is used to relieve the spasms of
infantile tetanus and is used for sores, dysentery and jaundice. The juice of
the flowers has numerous medicinal qualities.
Storage and Trading
Seeds are oily and do not store for long. Seeds older than 15 months show
viability below 50%. High levels of viability and low levels of germination
shortly after harvest indicate innate (primary) dormancy.
Modern Study
Recently
an Artificial blood vessels developed from Jatropha by IIT-
Madras. A biodegradable polymer recently developed from Jatropha
have attracted researchers from IIT-Madras to work towards a project
in this direction. Medical institute SCTIMST and a belgium based
multi-national company have also evinced interest in this project. .
Jatropha was recently recommended as a biofuels crop for developing countries by UN
It is also useful for: Wasteland Reclamation and Reforestation, Income generation from previously unusable areas, Provide huge opportunities from new sustainable and renewable land resources
Jatropha also helps for crops Creating employment Nursery development, soil preparation, irrigation systems, Plantation maintenance, seed collection, oil extraction and Refinery control.
Benefit from the increased demand for employment in infrastructure, logistics and Transportation and Breaking the cycle of poverty
On December 30, 2008 Air New Zealand successfully completed a test flight from Auckland using a 50/50 mixture of jatropha oil and Jet A1 in one of the four
Rolls-Royce RB211 engines of a 747 jumbo jet. The two-hour test
flight could mark another promising step for the airline industry to find cheaper and more
environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuel. Air New Zealand announced
plans to use the new fuel for 10% of its needs by 2013. Jatropha oil is significantly cheaper than crude oil, costing an estimated $43 a barrel.
But the most regularly repeated claim about jatropha is that it will grow on
so-called marginal land, and will therefore not compete with food crops, found two major flaws with this argument.
First, marginal land is often used as a source of firewood or medicinal plants. Second, while jatropha may grow on such land, that does not mean it will produce
enough oil to be economically viable.
Economy
Jatropha cultivation generates an income of RS 25000(US$ 625) / ha and RS.150, 000(US$ 3750)/ha from 5th year onwards in existing system of farming and if grown in 200 hectares in a village, it can provide adequate employment to all landless workers all through the year.
Seed yields under cultivation can range from 1,500 to 2,000 kilograms per hectare, corresponding to
extractable oil yields of 540 to 680 litres per hectare (58 to 73 US gallons per acre).
While Jatropha holds a great deal of potential as a biodiesel feedstock, it is also important to acknowledge many hurdles must be
overcome before the crop can become economically viable in most parts of the world
Toxicity
Jatropha oil contains a toxin, curcasin. The albumen of the kernel is a
poison, toxalbumen cursin, most abundant in the embryo. Another poison, a croton
resin, occurs in the seeds and causes redness and pustular eruptions of the
skin. The plant is listed as a fish poison. Aqueous extracts of J. curcas leaves
were effective in controlling Sclerotium spp., an Azolla fungal pathogen.
The seed oil, extracts of J. curcas seeds and phorbol esters from the oil have
been used to control various pests, often with successful results. In Gabon, the
seeds, ground and mixed with palm oil, are used to kill rats. The oil has
purgative properties, but seeds are poisonous; even the remains from pressed seeds can be fatal.
More information
Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). Dehra Dun, India.
Hahnemann Charitable Mission Society, 301,Mahaveer Nagar-II,Durgapura,Jaipur-302018
CENTRE FOR JATROPHA PROMOTION & BIODIESEL, B-132, SAINIK BASTI, CHURU- 331001, Rajasthan
Global Jatropha Training Programme And Jatropha Distance Learning Programme |
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