JATROPHA PLANT

JATROPHA PLANT
BIO-Diesel an Alternate Fuel
Zeeshan Asfar
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JATROPHA PLANT
INTRODUCTION
1. The name of this plant is derived from (Greek iatros = physician and trophe =
nutrition), hence the common name physic nut. Jatropha is native to Central America
and has become naturalied in many tropical and subtropical areas, includin! "outh
Asia, Africa, and #orth America. $ri!inatin! in the Caribbean, Jatropha %as spread as a
valuable hed!e plant to Africa and Asia by &ortu!uese traders. The mature small trees
bear separate male and female flo%ers, and do not !ro% very tall. As %ith many
members of the family 'uphorbiaceae, Jatropha contains compounds that are hi!hly
to(ic.
). The hardy *atropha is resistant to drought and pests, and produces seeds
containin! )+,-./ oil (avera!e0 1-.-/).
1. Jatropha Curcas as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production.
2o%ever, despite its abundance and use as an oil and reclamation plant, none of the
*atropha species have been properly domesticated and, as a result, its productivity is
variable, and the lon!,term impact of its lar!e,scale use on soil 3uality and the
environment is unkno%n.
Fig 1 . Jatropha curcas sapling
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JATROPHA PLANT
-. Currently the oil from *atropha curcas seeds is used for makin! biodiesel fuel in
Philippines and in Brazil, %here it !ro%s naturally and in plantations in the "outheast,
and the #orth4 #ortheast 5rail. 6ike%ise, *atropha $il is bein! promoted as an easily
!ro%n biofuel crop in hundreds of pro7ects throu!hout 8ndia and other developin!
countries. The rail%ay line bet%een 9umbai and :elhi is planted %ith *atropha and the
train itself runs on 1;,)./ biodiesel. 8n Africa, cultivation of *atropha is bein! promoted
and it is !ro%n successfully in countries such as 9ali. 8n the Gran Chaco of &ara!uay,
%here also a native variety (*atropha matacensis) !ro%s, studies have sho%n suitability
of *atropha cultivation and a!ro producers are startin! to consider plantin! in the re!ion.
;. 'stimates of *atropha seed yield vary %idely, due to a lack of research data, the
!enetic diversity of the crop, the ran!e of environments in %hich it is !ro%n, and
*atropha<s perennial life cycle. "eed yields under cultivation can ran!e from 1,;.. to
),... kilo!rams per hectare, correspondin! to e(tractable oil yields of ;-. to =>. litres
per hectare (;> to +1 ?" !allons per acre). Time 9a!aine recently cited the potential
for as much as 1,=.. !allons of diesel fuel per acre per year.
Fig 2. Jatropha curcas seedlings in a greenhouse
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JATROPHA PLANT
CULTIVATION TECHNOLOGY
1. THE PRODUCTIVE PLANTATION. Currently, practices are bein!
undertaken by the *atropha !ro%ers to scientifically mana!e the cultivation for better
!ro%th and production. The !ro%th and yield of *atropha could be improved throu!h
effective mana!ement practices and productive plantation.
Method Ad!nt!"e Dis!d!nt!"e E##ectin" $!cto%s
Di%ect seedin"

6ess investment

6ess !ermination
6ess survival
:ama!ed by animals in initial sta!e
@lo%erin!, fruitin! in 1
rd
year
"uccess depends upon
:epth of so%in!
:ate of so%in!
Auality of seeds
9oisture in the !round
Auality of preparation of the !round
Auality of seeds
"eedin! depth
:ate of so%in!
Nu%se%y p&!nts

2i!h percenta!e of
success
Good resistance to
dryness
'arly flo%erin! and
fruitin!
#ursery raisin! e(penditure is e(tra

Type of precultivation
6en!th of precultivation
A!e of precultivation
P&!nt!tion o#
cuttin"s

6ess investment
'arly fruitin!
:evelop %ider side roots
'nter in competition %ith other crop
for moisture and food
6o% resistance to dryness
6o% resistance to diseases
Bisk of insufficiency in event of lar!e
scale plantation
"uccess of this techni3ue is related to
A!e of the plant to %hich cuttin!s are
taken
The position of cuttin! %ithin the plant
The condition of !round in %hich
cuttin! be planted (draina!e and ventilation)
The sie of cuttin! and number of
buds it contains
Bi!ht time
Bi!ht sie
Bi!ht a!e
Bi!ht strain
Bi!ht source
T!'&e () Growing methodologies
). 9ethod of cultivation should be chosen on the basis of0,
a. 9a(imum survival rates
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JATROPHA PLANT
b. 8ntended utiliation of the plantation
1. @rom the table sho%n above %e can determine that0,
a. @or 3uick establishment of hed!es and plantation for erosion control,
directly planted cuttin!s are best.
b. @or lon!,lived plantations for ve!etative oil production, plants propa!ated
by seeds are better.
-. Cith better rainfall conditions, the plantations could also be established by direct
seedin!. :irect seedin!, precultivation of seedlin!s, easily propa!ates the *atropha
transplantin! of spontaneous %ild plants and direct plantin! of cuttin!s. "eed should be
collected %hen capsules split open. ?se of fresh seeds improves !ermination. 8ntervals
of presoakin! and dryin!, or partial removal of the testa, are more successful than
presoakin! alone. Cith !ood moisture conditions, !ermination takes 1. days. The seed
shell splits, the radicula emer!es and - small peripheral roots are formed. "oon after
development of the 1st leaves, the cotyledons %ither and fall off.
;. *EY $ACTOR+ O$ GRO,TH. The key factors that can influence the oil yield
of *atropha Curcas are0
a. C&i-!te. Can %ithstand severe heat. 6ikes heatin! and doin! %ell in
%armer areas. Chen cold %ill drop its leaves. 8t can %ithstand li!ht frost
but not for prolon!ed periods. The older the tree the better it %ill %ithstand.
5lack frost %ill almost certainly kill youn! plants and severely dama!e
older plants.
b. .u!&ity o# the soi&. 5est in sandy %ell,drained soils. Can %ithstand
very poor soils and !ro% in saline conditions. All the actors in the *atropha
sector su!!est, any%ay, usin! or!anic fertilier in order to obtain hi!her
yield.
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JATROPHA PLANT
c. G%o/th in Nu%se%y. The container volume influences the !ro%th of
*atropha curcas seedlin!s. The !ro%th of *atropha curcas seedlin!s in
small containers %ould be limited bein! a fast !ro%in! plant. 2ence
container sie of DE(=E shall be appropriate
d. I%%i"!tion. 8t handles dryness very %ell and it is possible to live almost
entirely of humidity in the air. :ifferences are e(pressed in %hat is
optimum rainfall as some readin!s say =.. mm and some say >.. mm
%hilst some areas in 8ndia report !ood crops %ith rainfall of 11>. mm. ;..
, =.. mm of rainfall is the limit. 5elo% it the production depends on the
local %ater condition in the !round. 8t %ill also stand for lon! periods
%ithout %ater , up to ) years F and then !ro% a!ain %hen rains occur
a!ain.
Fig 3: Jatropha fruit
e. ,eedin". "tandard cultural practices are timely %eedin! (- times a
year), proper fertiliation, surface plou!hin! and prunin!. Cith these
mana!ement practices a yield around 1;,). k! of fruit per tree can be
obtained even if the plants did not reach full maturity.
f. Use o# #e%ti&i0e%. Althou!h *atropha is adapted to lo% fertility sites and
alkaline soils, better yields seem to be obtained on poor 3uality soils if
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JATROPHA PLANT
fertiliers containin! small amounts of calcium, ma!nesium, and "ulfur are
used. 9ycorrhial associations have been observed %ith *atropha and are
kno%n to aid the plantGs !ro%th under conditions %here phosphate is
limitin!. 8t is recommended that 1 k! of farmyard manure4 plus 1.. ! of
#eem %aste for every seedlin!, %ith a recommendation of );.. plants per
ha this comes up to ).; ton or!anic fertilier per ha. 5esides it after
transplantation and the establishment of the plant fertilier such as #, &
and H should be applied. T%enty !ram urea I 1). ! ""& and 1= ! 9o&
should be applied annually.
!. C%op density. Beferences recommend spacin! for hed!ero%s or soil
conservation is 1;cm , );cm ( 1;cm,);cm in one or t%o ro%s respectively
and )m ( 1.;m to 1m ( 1mm for plantations. "atisfactory plantin! %idths
are ) ( ) m, ).; ( ).; m, and 1 ( 1 m. This is e3uivalent to crop densities
of );.., 1=.. and 1111 plants4 ha, respectively. :istance $@ )m ( )m 5'
H'&T @$B C$99'BC8A6 C?6T8JAT8$#. 2o%ever, %ider spacin! is
reported to !ive lar!er yields of fruit.
h. P%unin". The plants need to produce side shoots for ma(imum
sproutin! and ma(imum flo%ers and seed. 5et%een D. and 1). :ays top
of all plants at ); cm. Cut the top off cleanly and cut top to produce > F 1)
side branches. 8t is considered !ood practice. 8n order to facilitate the
harvestin!, it is su!!ested to keep the tree less than ) m.
i. Inte%1c%oppin". "pecific intolerance %ith other crops %as not
detected. $n the contrary the shade can be e(ploited by shade,lovin!
herbal plantsK ve!etables such red and !reen peppers, tomatoes, etc.
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JATROPHA PLANT
Fig 4: Jatropha inter cropping
7. C%op Yie&d. 8t appears very difficult to estimate une3uivocally the
yield of a plant that is able to !ro% in very different conditions. Lield is a
function of %ater, nutrients, heat and the a!e of the plant and other. 9any
different methods of establishment, farmin! and harvestin! are possible.
Lield can be enhanced %ith ri!ht balance of cost, yield, labor and finally
cost per 9t. "eed production ran!es from about ) tons per hectare per
year to over 1).; t4 ha4 yr, after five years of !ro%th. Althou!h not clearly
specified, this ran!e in production may be attributable to lo% and hi!h
rainfall areas.
i. ,ithout i%%i"!tion
DRY 2Met%ic tons3 hect!%e4
LO, NORMAL HIGH
Lear 1 ..1. ..); ..-.
Lear ) ..;. 1... 1.;.
Lear 1 ..+; 1.); 1.+;
Lear - ..D. 1.+; ).);
Lear ; 1.1. )... ).+;
ii. ,ith i%%i"!tion
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JATROPHA PLANT
IRRIGATED 2Met%ic tons3 hect!%e4
LO, NORMAL HIGH
Lear 1 ..+; 1.); ).;.
Lear ) 1... 1.;. 1...
Lear 1 -.); ;... ;...
Lear - ;.); =.); >...
Lear ; ;.); >... 1).;.
=. The land de!radation is caused by %ind and %ater erosion leadin! to depletion of
soil or!anic matter and poor soil structure stability. The *atropha plantation improves
soil structure %ithin a short period of cultivation.
GRO,ING +EA+ON
1. 8n meteorolo!yK for the #orthern hemisphere0
a. "prin! be!ins on 9arch 1.
b. "ummer on *une 1.
c. Autumn on "eptember 1.
d. Cinter on :ecember 1.
). Therefore for the countries fallin! in the #orthern hemisphere the !ro%in!
season %ill be as under0,
a. #ursery raisin! 0 9arch
b. &lantation 0 9ay
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JATROPHA PLANT
1. C%op c!&end!%
PROPAGATION TIME $RAME
#?B"'BL BA8"8#G
@'5 , 9ABC2, "'& , $CT$5'B
:8B'CT "'':8#G" After Good Bainfall
Transplantin! of pre,cultivated saplin!s @'5 , A&B86, 8n 9ansoon 9onths
:irect &lantin! by "tem, Cuttin!s ) 9onths before 9ansoon
&runin! 8n 9arch, 9ay
@lo%erin! 9ay 4 "ept.
Bipenin! *uly, #ovember
2arvestin! Au!, :ecember( #. 8ndia)
"eeds "tora!e @or ma(imum 1; 9onths
U+E+
1. This *atropha Curcas (a petro, crop) can be used entirely for different purposes
as described belo%0,
a. ,ho&e p&!nt
i. &lanted to prevent %ater erosion and for conservation.
ii. &romisin! live fence.
iii. ?seful as !reen manure.
iv. ?seful in controllin! sand drift.
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JATROPHA PLANT
v. &ossess Allopathic properties.
b. Roots. ?sed as ethno,medicine.
c. Le!es
i. ?sed as ethno,medicine.
ii. Lield a dye used to !ive tan M bro%n.
iii. ?seful as botanical.
d. L!te5
i. Besembles shellac.
ii. ?sed for makin! ink.
iii. ?sed as ethno,medicine.
e. +eeds
i. Source of oil (1.,-./) suitable as fuel for diesel en!ine.
ii. ?seful as illuminant, lubricant, in soap and candle makin!.
iii. ?sed as medicine both internally and e(ternally.
f. 6!%7. Lields tannins (1+/).
!. T/i"
i. ?sed as medicine.
ii. ?sed for makin! herbal tooth brush.
iii. Loun! one cooked and eaten.
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JATROPHA PLANT
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