jatropha information

8/6/2019 Jatropha Information

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Why Jatropha?

Jatropha Curcas is resistant to drought and can be planted even in the desertclimates, and it thrives on any type of soil, grows almost anywhere; in sandy,gravelly and saline soils.

Jatropha needs minimal input or management.

Jatropha has no inspect pests it is not browsed by cattle or sheep.

Jatropha Curcas can survive long periods of drought.

Jatropha Propagation is easy.

Jatropha Curcas growth is rapid; forms a thick live hedge after only a month's planting.

Jatropha Curcas starts yielding from the second year onwards and continues for 40 years.

The Meal after extraction an excellent organic manure

Jatropha Curcas quickly establishes itself and will produce seeds round the year if irrigated.

Other than extracting Bio diesel from Jatropha Curcas plant, the leaf and the bark are used for various other industrial and pharmaceutical uses.

Localized production and availability of quality fuel restoration of degraded landover a period of time.

Approximately 31 to 37 % of oil extracted from the Jatropha Curcas seed. It can be used for any diesel engine without modification

Jatropha Characteristics:

Special Identification Features: Jatropha curcas is a large coarse annual shrub or smallshort lived tree which can grow 3.5 to 4.5 metres (8-15 feet) tall. It has thin, oftengreenish bark which exudes copious amounts of watery sap when cut.

Habitat: Widely cultivated as an ornamental. Prefers arid environments.

Description, chemical structure, stability Curcin: Phytotoxins or toxalbumins are large,complex protein molecules of high toxicity. They resemble bacterial toxins in structureand physiological effects. Phytotoxins are heat labile, and can be positively identified by

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precipitin reactions with sera containing known antibodies (Kingsbury 1964). Curcin issaid to be highly irritant and remains in the seed after the oil has been expressed.

Other physico-chemical characteristics: Curcin is unable to penetrate cell walls, thishas been indicated by the fact that these proteins do not affect protein synthesis by

Ehrlich ascites cells. This is thought to be because they lack a carrier moiety or at leastthe galactose-binding groups by which ricin binds to cell membranes. This wasdiscovered when it was found that the activity of curcin in cell-free systems is notincreased by treatment with 2-mercaptoethanol, which greatly enhances the inhibitoryeffect of ricin and abrin by splitting their molecules into an effector and a carrier moiety.

Toxicity: In some instances as few as three seeds have produced toxic symptoms. Inothers, consumption of as many as 50 seeds has resulted in relatively mild symptoms.There is one report where the ingestion of only one seed in an adult has produced toxicsymptoms. It has been suggested that there may be two strains one with toxic seeds andone without (Kingsbury, 1964). Curcin, the phytotoxin or toxalbumin found

in Jatropha curcas is similar to ricin the phytotoxin found in the castor bean (Ricinis). The minimum lethal dose of ricin, when administered by injection, may be as small as 0.00000001% of body weight, although oral toxicity is probably severalhundred times less.

Poisoning from ingestion of the seeds of the Jatropha plant is well known in veterinary practice and autopsy findings include, severe gastro-enteritis, nephritis, myocardialdegeneration, haemagglutination, and sub-epicardial and sub-endocardial haemorrhagesas well as renal subcortical and subpleural bleeding.

One study found a high mortality rate in mice fed 50% and 40% J. curcas. The important

symptoms of poisoning included diarrhoea, inability to keep normal posture, depressionand lateral recumbency. The degree of the pathological changes observed in the smallintestines, liver, heart, kidneys, and lungs was related to the level of Jatropha in thediet. The most marked pathological changes were catarrhal enteritis, erosions of theintestinal mucosa, congestion and haemorrhages in small intestines, heart and lungs andfatty changes in the liver and kidneys.

Jatropha Parts and Uses

Fruits are produced in winter when the shrub is leafless, or it may produce several cropsduring the year if soil moisture is good and temperatures are sufficiently high. Eachinflorescence yields a bunch of approximately 10 or more ovoid fruits. A three, bi-valvedcocci is formed after the seeds mature and the fleshy exocarp dries. The seeds becomemature when the capsule changes from green to yellow, after two to four months

Once grown the crop has a fifty years of life. Fruiting can take place in this plant in twoyears. It yields five-twelve tonnes per hectares oil seeds and produces two -four tones of bio-diesel



Cultivation timeings of Jatropha Nursery raising time:Feb- March, Sep- October Trasplanting of saplings:February - April , In monsoon monthsDirect seeding sowing:After good rainfall

Direct planting by cuttings:Two month before monsoonManuring time:On trasplantation and after one year Pruning time:March-MayFlowering time:May - September,Fruiting time:July- November Harvesting time:August- December (North India)

Jatropha plant produces seeds with an oil content of 37%. The oil contains 21% saturatedfatty acids and 79% unsaturated fatty acids.There are some chemical elements in the seedwhich are poisonous and render the oil not appropriate for human consumption.

Uses of Jatopha Curcus (Ratanjyot)

1. Non-edible vegetable oil of Jatropha curcas has the requisite potential of providing a promising and commercially viable alternative to diesel oil since it has desirable physicochemical and performance characteristics comparable to diesel. Cars could be runwith Jatropha curcas without requiring much change in design.

2. The oil is used as an illuminant without being refined and it burns with clear smoke-free flame.

3. Oil has a very high saponification value and is being extensively used for making soapin some countries.

4. The latex of Jatropha contains an alkaloid known as "jatrophine" which is believed tohave anti-cancerous properties.

5. It is also used as an external application for skin diseases and rheumatism and for soreson domestic livestock. In addition, the tender twigs of the plant are used for cleaningteeth, while the juice of the leaf is used as an external application for piles. Finally, theroots are reported to be used as an antidote for snake-bites.

6. The bark of Jatropha curcas yields a dark blue dye which is used for coloring cloth,fishing nets and lines.

7. Jatropha oil cake is rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and can be used asorganic manure.

8. Jatropha leaves are used as food for the tusser silkworm.



Jatropha curcus or Ratanjyot, can prove itself a miracle plant by turning waste land into amoneymaking land. It can help to increase rural incomes, self-sustainability and alleviate poverty for women, elderly, children and men, tribal communities, small farmers.

Products of the exploitation of the Jatropha plant: The uses of jatropha plant are provided

in detail.

Soap production: The glycerin that is a by-product of biodiesel can be used to makesoap, and soap can be produced from Jatropha oil itself. It will produce a soft,durable soap, and the rather simple soap making process is well adapted tohousehold or small-scale industrial activity.

Other Uses: Jatropha oil is also used to soften leather and lubricate machinery

Jatropha Chemical and Physical Properties

PROPERTY JATROPHA OIL

Flash point 240/110 °CCarbon residue 0.64Cetane value 51.0Distillation point (°C) 295 °CKinematics Viscosity 50.73 csSulphur % 0.13 %Calorific value 9 470 kcal/kgPour point 8 °C

Colour 4.0Viscosity (cp) (30 °C) 52.6 (5.51)2Speciflc gravity (15 °C/4 °C) 0.917/ 0.923(0.881)Solidfying Point (°C) 2.0Saponification Value 188 . 198Iodine Value3 90.8 -112.5Refractive Index (30°C) 1.47Acid value 1.0 - 38.2Palmitic acid % 4.2Stearic acid % 6.9Oleic acid % 43.1

Linoleic acid % 34.3Other acids % 1.4

Oil Yield from Jatropha

Jatropha is being heralded as a tree crop for biodiesel production and increasing incomesof small farmers on marginal lands; however, when you plant crops on marginallands/soils, you can expect to get marginal yields. Plants mine nutrients from the soil, and

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to maintain yields, these nutrients need to be replaced. This often means applyingchemical fertilizers that even if available, are not affordable to many smallfarmers. When doing realistic planning on the “real” economics of a Jatropha project, onemust also calculate that fact that optimal seed yield of Jatropha won’t be obtainable for several years. Furthermore, marginal farmers most often have access to only a minimal

amount to land for food crop production; therefore, what will they have to eat until asound market for Jatropha oil is developed?

The jury is still out on the actual seed and oil yields one can count on from Jatropha plantings. IPGRI concludes that “The low yields revealed in several projects may have been caused by the fact that unadapted provenances had been used. If investigation of itsgenetic diversity and its yield potential had been covered by adequate scientific research,this problem could have been overcome.”

In the literature reviewed, it could not be determined if adequate research on germplasmimprovement is taking place to optimize the per plant yield of nuts and oil content. Since

Jatropha clones are readily propagated through cuttings, germplasm improvement tooptimize yields should be easier than with many other plants/trees. One must be verycareful in selecting a good source of Jatropha germplasm for projects since there is littletruth in advertising, and presently the best profitability is in selling seed, cuttings or seedlings produced from plants that are probably not genetically improved and may varywidely in yield. Cloning creates cytoplasmic uniformity in plants making them moresusceptible to disease and insect infestation.

Furthermore from the literature it is extremely difficult to determine what actual per hectare yield of nuts one can rely upon when growing Jatropha. Most figures cited were projections that often are inflated and over optimistic in order to procure funding for

projects. Also, the estimatedoil content of the nuts cited in the literature variesconsiderably, which adds to the difficulty of calculating the profitability of growingJatropha. Furthermore, optimizing oil extraction from the seeds requires expensivemachinery. One can find on page 36 of the IPGRI study a list of yields cited by a number of sources.

In the literature, the reports of yields vary greatly and are confusing. This can beattributed to one or a combination of the following factors including: yields aresometimes given in terms of fruits, seeds, nuts, or kernels; confusing terminology used inmaking yield estimates, e.g., some are made in tons (t) while others are in metric tons(MT); variance in germplasm; unstipulated spacing between plants; no specific data onsoils (ranging from marginal to fertile, and if fertilizer was applied); no information onrainfall and other climatic conditions, and if irrigation is being used

Reports on yields include that from plantations (mostly projected yields), but it is notmentioned if they were established by vegetative propagation or by direct seeding, onfertile or marginal soils, and if the plantations were irrigated or not. When irrigated,Jatropha trees are said to produce seeds throughout the entire year. Often, there is nomention of the age of the trees/shrubs, nor is the variety/cultivar given. Jatropha trees are



said to begin producing a measurable amount of nuts at 18 months, but are not expectedto reach maturity and optimal yields until after 6 years.

The IPGRI report gives a conversion factor of 30 kg of fruits yielding approximately 18kg of seed. One might assume that the fruit to seed ratio may be higher in areas of higher

rainfall. In one reference, IPGRI estimates that a yield of at least 2-3t (not MT) of seeds/ha can be achieved in semi-arid areas; however, in another citation, IPGRI reportsthat in Hisar, Bangalore, India, a “quite high seed yield” (1,733 kg/ha or 1.733 MT) wasobserved in one cultivar. IPGRI confuses the issue by reporting the yield in tons and notMT (this could have been an editing mistake, ed.), while giving the area in hectares.

Jatropha Oil Extraction

Oil Extraction may be done:

• Mechanically (by pressing the kernels)

• Chemically; and• Enzymatically

PRODUCTION PROCESS

Transesterification

• Is the process of chemically reacting a fat or oil with an alcohol in a presence of acatalyst

• Alcohol used is usually methanol or ethanol• Catalyst is usually sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide

• The main product of transesterification is biodiesel and the co-product isglycerine

Separation

After transesterification, the biodiesel phase is separated from the glycerine phase, bothundergoes purification.

Advantages

• It starts producing seeds within 12 months

• Maximum productivity level is 4-5 years• Plant remains useful for around 35-50 years• Seeds can produce around 37% oil content• Kernels can produce up to 60% oil content• Its seeds yield an annual equivalent of 0.75 to 2 tons of biodiesel per hectare• It is a NON-FOOD CROP

Disadvantages





The Jatropha Curcas nut and oil are inedible, but its price is not distorted by competingfood uses.

Potential gender conflicts.

Second income to make soap.

If there is too little water, the plant will not produce the nut.

• Jatropha needs at least 600mm (23in) of rain a year to thrive. However, it cansurvive three consecutive years of drought by dropping its leaves

• It is excellent at preventing soil erosion, and the leaves that it drops act as soil-enriching mulch

• The plant prefers alkaline soils• The cost of 1,000 jatropha saplings (enough for one acre) in Pakistan is about £50,

or 5p each•

The cost of 1kg of jatropha seeds in India is the equivalent of about 7p.Each jatropha seedling should be given an area two metres square.• 20 per cent of seedlings planted will not survive• Jatropha seedlings yield seeds in the first year after plantation

Jatropha for Biodiesel Figures

Look at the financial costs of commercial Jatropha growing for Biodiesel

Jatropha (1) is seen by many to be the perfect biodiesel (2) crop. It can be grown in very

poor soils actually generating top soil as it goes, is drought and pest resilient, and it hasseeds with up to 40% oil content.

Here are some facts and figures about Jatropha relating to its growth as an oil product:

- Jatropha grows well on low fertility soils however increased yields can be obtainedusing a fertilizer containing small amounts of magnesium, sulphur, and calcium.



- Jatropha can be intercropped with many cash crops such as coffee, sugar, fruits andvegetables with the Jatropha offering both fertilizer and protection against livestock.- Jatropha needs at least 600mm of rain annually to thrive however it can survive threeyears of drought by dropping its leaves.- Jatropha is excellent at preventing soil erosion, and the leaves it drops act as a

wonderful soil enriching mulch.- Jatropha prefers alkaline soils.

- The cost of 1000 jatropha saplings (enough for one acre) in Pakistan is around5000PKR (equiv to around £50 or just 5p each).- The cost of 1kg of jatropha seeds in India is 6 Rupees (equiv to around £0.07).

- Each jatropha seedling should be given a 2m x 2m area to grow into.- 20% of seedlings planted will not survive.- Jatropha seedlings yield seeds in the first year after plantation.

- After the first five years, the typical annual yield of a jatropha tree is 3.5kg of beans.- Jatropha trees are productive for up to 30-40 years.- 2,200 trees can be planted per hectare (approx 1,000 per acre).- 1 hectare should yield around 7 tonnes of seeds per year.- The oil pressed from 4kg of seeds is needed to make 1 litre of biodiesel.- 91%+ of the oil can be extracted with cold pressing.

- 1 hectare should yield around 2.2-2.7 tonnes of oil.- Press cake ( seedcake) is left after the oil is pressed from the seeds. This can becomposted and used as a high grade nitrogen rich organic fertilizer ( green manure(3)).The remaining oil can be used to make skin friendly soap.



- One job is created for each 4 hectares of jatropha plantation.- The average Indian agricultural worker earns less than $40 per month.- Biodiesel costs around 16-20p per litre to grow and refine in India.- Glycerol, a biproduct of biodiesel refinement, can be sold in India for around 45-70p

per kilogram.- One hectare of jatropha plantation yields 25,000 Rupees / year (around £300) in India.

The following stats come from D1 Oils (4) - the UK's biggest biodiesel company:

- Crushing 1 tonne of Jatropha seeds costs around $40 (£23).- 1 tonne of seedcake (the leftovers after pressing) can be sold for $100 (£55).- The transport costs of shipping 1 tonne of jatropha from India to Northern Europe is$100 (£55).- The landed cost of 1 tonne of jatropha oil to Northern Europe is between $348 and $500for oil contents of 29% to 40% (£180 to £260).- Refining jatropha oil into biodiesel costs

less than $125 (£65) per tonne.

- Filtered jatropha oil can be used as is in many diesel vehicles (as SVO) with onlysmall modifications (5) required to the engine.- Jatropha oil can be used as a kerosene substitute for heating and lamps.- Jatropha oil burns with a clear smokeless flame.

Buy Jatropha Curcas Seeds



If you are interested in trying to grow your own Jatropha plants, you'll need some seeds.These can most easily be purchased from countries such as Malaysia and Brazil viaeBayUK (6) (or eBay USA (7). Click here to search eBay UK now for Jatropha (8) (or here tosearch eBay USA for Jatropha (9)).

At the time of writing 5000 high yield jatropha curcas seeds are available from Malaysiafor around £80, and 1000 for from £16 to £21 from Malaysia and Brazil. Seeds are alsoavailable in much smaller quantities for just £2+.

Web Link References

(1) http://www.reuk.co.uk/What-is-Jatropha.htm(2) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Introduction-to-Biodiesel.htm(3) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Green-Manure.htm(4) http://www.reuk.co.uk/D1-Oils-PLC-Biodiesel.htm(5) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Vegetable-Oil-Two-Tank-Conversion.htm

(6) http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?type=1&cam....(7) http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=1&cam....(8) http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?type=3&cam....(9) http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&cam....

Jatropha holds the promise of becoming a sustainable feedstock for biodiesel, resulting insignificant business opportunities. This comprehensive report will be an indispensableguide for you to understand this important industry and take the first steps in benefittingfrom the opportunities.

Why Should You Know about Jatropha Biodiesel?

You will be exploring an alternative to one of our most precious commodities: oil

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You will be learning more on a feedstock that has the potential to revolutionizethe world of energy

You will have an early mover advantage as the industry is just about to take off

Jatropha, a second-generation biofuel feedstock, presents one of the most exciting

possibilities as a future solution to our energy problems, especially that of transportationfuel. In the last few years, activity in this field has been accelerating fast.

Why is Jatropha so exciting from a renewable energy standpoint?

Unlike the first generation biodiesel and biofuel crops such as soy or corn,Jatropha is a non-food crop and can grow in non-agricultural and marginal landsnot suitable for food crops.

Jatropha can use wastewater for its growth.

Fertilizer and pesticide requirements, and crop management costs, are relativelylower for Jatropha than for many other energy crops.

Jatropha is a perennial; hence it needs to be planted just once and it yields oil for over 30 years.

Projected Share of Jatropha Biodiesel in Total Biodiesel Production

Year Total Projected Supply

of Jatropha (MMT)

Total Biodiesel

Production (MMT)

% of Biodiesel

Supplied by Jatropha

200

90.5 16.9 3.0

201

0

2.1 20.2 10.4

201

26.5 29.2 22.3

201

5 15.5 50.3 30.8

The pay-offs are big, and so are the challenges. Companies those are able to make anearly start in this field stand a chance of reaping significant benefits in future.

While many around the world have heard about the Jatropha biodiesel possibilities and

would like to know more, few resources are available that provide in-depth details of theJatropha industry, its potential, the status of various companies in this industry, and whatthe future is likely to hold for this industry.

Based on our interactions with hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors and businesses whohave been exploring this domain last few years, we realized the need for a resource that provides structured data, insights and opinion that answers the key questions in their minds.



The following are the key questions those exploring Jatropha biodiesel are askingthemselves.

Should I explore Jatropha biodiesel as a business opportunity?

Do I have the skills and resources required for an entrepreneur or business to benefit from this opportunity?

Do I know enough about the main risks and bottlenecks present in this domain?

Do I know enough about the future trends to evaluate this opportunity againstother energy-related opportunities?

What can I learn from the performance of existing companies in the Jatropha biofuels domain?

An insightful Comprehensive Jatropha Report provides precise inputs for the followingquestions:

What is the current and future potential for deriving biofuels from Jatropha? Is Jatropha the best choice for those investing in biofuels?

What are the various fuel possibilities from Jatropha?

What is the real-world status of Jatropha biodiesel efforts?

Which are the prominent companies in this field and what are the efforts currentlyundertaken by them?

What types of industries and companies will benefit most by investing in thisfield?

What is the quantum of investment required in this field?

What are the expected returns for those investing in Jatropha biodiesel?

What is the key success factors required to succeed in this exciting businessopportunity?

What are the key trends and challenges in Jatropha crop cultivation?

What is the scenario of the Jatropha industry in India & Africa?

What types of venture capital investments and other financing are happening inthis industry?

What are the real bottlenecks / problems that could hamper the growth of thisindustry?

What are predictions for the future with regard to challenges, possibilities and breakthroughs?

What are the next steps an entrepreneur should take should she/he be interested in

exploring further?

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