Jatropha Revisited

The Jatropha curcas plant is emerging as a new source of a high quality biodiesel occurring in most tropical countries.

On a global scale, Jatropha plantations could facilitate fuel and later food production from wastelands, stabilize degraded soils, decelerate erosion and capture wind borne nutrient particles.

FACT SHEET - Jatropha Curcas
Jatropha curcas is an oil seed plant that occurs in almost all tropical countries and is a suitable candidate to:

- Produce high-quality oil that can be refined into high grade Bio-Diesel
- It has the ability to grow in poor quality soils, even wasteland, with little rainfall
- Recultivate eroded soils, preventing soil erosion and shifting of sand dunes
- Create local income and employment

• Jatropha curcas is one of the most productive oil seed plants on the planet
- Jatropha will yield after 16-24m, full yield in year three
- Need to do intercropping in the first 3 years for cash crop before full yield of plants.
- Output of about 1,500 – 5,000l per hectare p.a., depending on soil, climate, management and processing technology
- Through breeding program yielding will improve,
up to 500% yielding improvement can be expected in the long run

• Jatropha curcas can grow in wastelands and has the ability to grow almost anywhere,
for example gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can thrive on the poorest stony soil and grow in the crevices of rocks.

• Jatropha curcas is drought-tolerant thriving on as little as 250 mm of rain a year,
and only during its first two years does it need to be watered (only in the closing days of the dry season).

• Low-maintenance: Ploughing and planting are not needed regularly as this shrub has a life expectancy of approximately forty years. The use of pesticides and other polluting substances are not necessary, due to the pesticidal and fungicidal properties of the plant.

• Jatropha curcas is not grazed by animals and is not in competition to food crops.

• Valueable residuals: The seed cake remaining after pressing the oil seeds constitutes a source of high value protein – which can be used for:
- biogas production
- producing natural fertiliser through composting,
- and even for animal feed, if properly processed.
- The organic matter from shed leaves enhances earthworm activity in the soil around the root-zone of the plants, which improves the fertility of the soil.

• Jatropha plants absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide; combustion results in a closed greenhouse gas cycle. Jatropha can thus play a vital role in sustainable mobility concepts

• Not in competition to food, as Jatropha is not an edible crop

• Seed production ranges from about 2 tons per hectare per year to over 12.5t/ha/year, after five years of growth.
• Developing nations producing Jatropha biodiesel gain greater energy security, save valuable foreign currency, become exporter of biodiesel, and protect their environment

JATROPHA & CARBON
• Jatropha plants absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide during their live time. Subsequent combustion of the oil results in a closed greenhouse gas cycle. Jatropha can thus play a vital role in sustainable mobility concepts.

• Clean Development Mechanism and Renewable Energy Aspects
- Plant residuals can be methanised for energy generation (such a biomass plant can apply as a CDM project under the Kyoto protocol, approved methodology), or composting
- Depending on the plantation set up, carbon sequestration from reforestation can be claimed
- Future methodologies on the creation of CO2 certificates for the biofuel derived from Jatropha is expected