Jatropha – Bio Energy Crop

Jatropha is the plant with lots of potential advantages. As the nonrenewable fuel sources are decreasing quickly and the co2 emission emitted 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 arid region, little care is enough for its development. It grows both in topical and sub tropical region. The jatropha seed contains 35 percent oil content in it. The oil from jatropha can be used as biodiesel mix up to 20% without refining. The oil burns with clear smoke-free flame, and was evaluated effectively as a fuel for simple diesel engine. It is not a food crop considering that the oil is non-edible. The oil is used as a conventional medication disinfectant and to cure diseases like cancer, stacks, snakebite, paralysis dropsy etc. The seed oil is also utilized for lighting and in soap preparation. It is hardly ever utilized as a live fence in preventing crops from animals and it occasionally utilized as property demarcation. It lowers the soil erosion.

The optimum growing conditions for the Jatropha plant ranges from 1000 to1500 mm annual rainfall, with of 20 to 28 C. The soil needs to be free draining with no water logging. But adequate water and nutrition is a should for high yield. The jatropha is easy to grow and it can bear the seeds within a year of planting. It offers oxygen for the planet and it can grow even in bad soil. It can not endure frost.

The Jatropha Electrification is developing in many nations. Mali is thought about to be one of the poorest nations on the planet. At Mali, Garalo Jatropha Producers’ Cooperative (CPP) and the power business ACCESS are the primary organizations developing jatropha cultivation. The personal power company ACCESS is generates and does electricity sales. Currently 247 homes are connected 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) preparation to produce power for all by 2012. The little scale power generation projects were developed 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 very inexpensive 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 backwoods with electrical energy. The jatropha planting on the wastelands has the ability to offer 50-60% of the India’s fuel requirements.

The Jatropha curcas plantation in 1 hectare decreases 20 loads of co2 annually. The biggest jatropha producing nation in Asia will be Indonesia and India. In Africa, Ghana and Madagascar will be the largest manufacturers. Brazil will be the biggest producer in Latin America. The plantation is a labor extensive process thus it creates job for numerous poor rural people. Above all Jatropha can be used as a Renewable Energy.