Jatropha – Bio Energy Crop
Jatropha is the plant with lots of possible benefits. As the fossil fuels are declining quickly and the co2 emission discharged from it contaminates the atmosphere, 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 consists of 35 percent oil content in it. The oil from jatropha can be utilized as biodiesel mix approximately 20% without refining. The oil burns with clear smoke-free flame, and was checked effectively as a fuel for easy diesel engine. It is not a food crop because the oil is non-edible. The oil is utilized as a conventional medicine disinfectant and to treat diseases like cancer, piles, snakebite, paralysis dropsy etc. The seed oil is also utilized for lighting and in soap preparation. It is rarely used as a live fence in preventing crops from animals and it occasionally utilized as home demarcation. It decreases the soil disintegration.
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 pipes with no water logging. But appropriate 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 supplies oxygen for the planet and it can grow even in poor soil. It can not withstand frost.
The Jatropha Electrification is establishing in many countries. Mali is considered to be one of the poorest nations worldwide. At Mali, Garalo Jatropha Producers’ Cooperative (CPP) and the power company ACCESS are the main institutions developing jatropha cultivation. The private power business ACCESS is produces and does electricity sales. Currently 247 households are connected to the micro grid after a payment of $30 as a contribution to the connection expenses. Likewise in India, the Rural Electricity Supply Technology (REST) objective of the Ministry of Power (MOP) preparation to produce power for all by 2012. The small scale power generation tasks were developed in Chattisgarh, India. It is being run by Winrock International in the Kabir Dham district. This small power system offers 24-hour power supply at the very budget-friendly price of 50 cents per light bulb to poor villagers. It is 17.5 KW capacity power plant operates on raw jatropha seed oil.Jatropha is a promising crop for rural development. The jatropha oil lights up rural areas with electrical energy. The jatropha planting on the wastelands has the ability to supply 50-60% of the India’s fuel requirements.
The Jatropha curcas plantation in 1 hectare decreases 20 lots of carbon dioxide each year. The biggest jatropha producing country in Asia will be Indonesia and India. In Africa, Ghana and Madagascar will be the largest manufacturers. Brazil will be the biggest manufacturer in Latin America. The plantation is a labor extensive procedure thus it creates task for numerous bad rural individuals. Above all Jatropha can be used as a Renewable Energy.
