What is Jatropha
What Is Jatropha
Find out more about Jatropha - a biofuel crop
biomassJatropha Curcas is an excellent biofuel crop which has many other advantages over existing crops.
The biofuel yield of various crops has been measured, and is usually given in barrels of oil per square mile per year. Corn is a common biofuel crop in the USA, but it yields under 200 barrels (per square mile per year). Rice for example yields almost 1000 barrels, however it is an essential worldwide food crop as are most of the other potential biofuel crops.
It is simply not viable to use good quality arable farmland for growing biofuels, biofuel crops need to be grown on marginal land if we are to benefit from them. This is where Jatropha scores highly. Not only does it have a great yield of well over 2,000 barrels of oil per square mile per year, it also increases the fertility of the land on which it is grown so that it can potentially be used for food crops in subsequent years.
Jatropha is perennial which can grow in arid conditions (even deserts), on any kind of ground, and does not require irrigation or suffer in droughts. Therefore unlike the common biofuel crops of today (corn and sugar), they are very easy to cultivate even on poor land in Africa providing great social and economic benefits for that region.
Jatropha is fast growing and it begins yielding oil in the second year and for the next forty to fifty years. Optimal yields are obtained from the sixth year, and spaced at 2 metre intervals, around 2500 plants can be cultivated per hectare. Jatropha absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and therefore earns carbon credits.
Find out more about
Jatropha and its use as a
biofuel here with our guide to the facts and figures about Jatropha.
Article Last Modified: 15:20, 18th Jan 2007Comment on this Article
If you have any comments on this article, please email them to
neil@reuk.co.uk.
Recommended Related Articles
People who read this article also enjoyed the following articles:
Jatropha for Biodiesel FiguresLook at the financial costs of commercial Jatropha growing for Biodiesel
Article Last Modified: 15:16, 19th Aug 2008biomass | general | transportD1 Oils PLC BiodieselFind out about D1 Oils PLC, UK biodiesel processor
Article Last Modified: 12:56, 15th Jan 2007biomass | transport | newsIntroduction to BiodieselA brief introduction to Biodiesel
Article Last Modified: 20:04, 20th Mar 2006transport | biomass | educationCan You Run Your Car On BiodieselIs your vehicle suitable for running on biodiesel?
Article Last Modified: 16:40, 2nd Jul 2008biomass | transportWhat is BiocharRemove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by sequestering it in charcoal
Article Last Modified: 16:30, 17th Mar 2009carbon | biomassPressing JatrophaFind out how jatropha oil is extracted for use in biodiesel
Article Last Modified: 10:36, 22nd Jan 2007biomassUnder 1000GBP Biodiesel Processor EquipmentFind a supplier of a <£1,000 Biodiesel Processor in the UK
Article Last Modified: 10:27, 31st Mar 2009biomass | transportIntroduction to BiomassWhat is biomass, and how can it be used to generate heat and electricity
Article Last Modified: 15:13, 19th Aug 2008biomass | heatingTax on BiofuelsPaying the right tax to use home made biofuels in your vehicle
Article Last Modified: 09:34, 1st Mar 2007biomassUK Biodiesel Processor EquipmentFind a supplier of Biodiesel equipment in the UK
Article Last Modified: 09:54, 21st Dec 2006biomass | transport