Jatropha curcas is a non-edible fuel stock. Growing and using jatropha will not affect the price of food stock, such as corn, grain, and sugar, all of which are currently being used to fuel cars.  If the United States was to consider using edible food stock to fuel the 800 million cars the 2 billion people in worlds poorest nations would suffer due to the rise in food prices. When Brazil started using sugar for fuel in 2005, the price of sugar doubled in just 18 months.

Crude oil prices are getting close to $100.00 a barrel and are expected to hit $150.00 a barrel within the next few years. The use of biodiesel is helping to ease the pain in some American wallets. Sales of bio-fuels  have jumped from 2 million gallons a year in 2000 to 250 million gallons in 2006. More and more government agencies, private companies, corporations, and private citizens are joining in the use of the renewable resource.

According to a study completed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Thailand, Uruguay, and Ghana may be the next major oil suppliers due to their crops of jatropha curcas.  Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is working toward the planting of 7 million acres of jatropha. Why did they decide to use this plant for biodiesel? It is because it's a tough, drought-resistant plant that can grow in some of the harshest conditions on the planet, and sometimes not even requiring dirt, only the cracks in a rock.

Under the right conditions, jatropha seeds can contain up to 46% oil which can be used to produce cheap renewable biodiesel from a plant that can live up to 45 years. Another use for the plant is biomass which can be burned, similar to coal, to produce energy. The oil can even be used raw to produce heat for an oil burning heat system. A byproduct of biodiesel production is glycerin which can be used to make an organic soap.

Current diesel engines can be run on this environmentally friendly fuel with little or no modifications. Engines that run a 20% mixture will usually require no modifications, where as using 100% biodiesel will require changing of some rubber parts. Biodiesel has even been shown to clean an engine and help it run more smoothly. Although studies have shown some power loss may occur from using biodiesel, about 2-10 hp, jatropha has been shown to be one of the most efficient oils to use in the production of biofuel.

We want to help farmers in the Americas jump on the clean fuel bandwagon. Biodiesel has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and meets clean diesel standards established by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). It will not affect food prices and will help make the world a cleaner place.

About Jatropha

Our plants are intended for growth in a controlled farming environment. These plants should not be planted in the wild as they may affect the natural ecosystem of your region. Jatropha is not a weed. It does not propagate by itself, it has to be planted. Please be responsible when growing jatropha. 

PLANT PROFILE
Jatropha Curcus is a drought-resistant perennial growing well in marginal to poor soil. It is easy to establish, grows relatively quickly, and lives producing seeds for 40 years. Jatropha, the wonder plant, produces seeds with an oil content of up to 40%. The oil is a fuel which burns with a clear, smoke-free flame.  This oil processed into biodiesel through esterification is increasingly being used as a fuel by transport and energy companies. The byproducts are pressed cake (a good organic fertilizer), oil, and it also contains an effective insecticide.

Jatropha grows wild in Ghana and other parts of Africa and thrives in poor soil.  It is rugged in nature and can survive with minimum inputs, is easy to propagate, and can be obtained with little effort. Depending on soil quality and rainfall, the oil can be extracted from the jatropha nuts after two to three years. The annual seed yield ranges from 0.5 to 12 tons per hectare.

Family: Euphorbiaceae Synonyms: Curcas purgans Medic.
Vernacular/common names: English- physic nut, purging nut.

Distribution and habitat
It is still uncertain where the center of origin is, but it is believed to be Mexico and Central America. It has been introduced to Africa and Asia and is now cultivated worldwide. This highly drought-resistant species has adapted to arid and semi-arid conditions. The current distribution shows that introduction has been most successful in the drier regions of the tropics with annual rainfall of 300-1,000 mm. It occurs mainly at lower altitudes (0-500 m) in areas with average annual temperatures well above 20°C but can grow at higher altitudes and tolerates slight frost. It grows on well-drained soils with good aeration and is well adapted to marginal soils with low nutrient content.

Botanical Features
Jatropha is a small tree or shrub with smooth, gray bark, which exudes a whitish colored, watery latex when cut. Normally, it grows between 3 to 5 meters in height, but can attain a height of up to 8 to 10 meters under favorable conditions.

Leaves
The leaves are large, green to pale-green leaves, alternate to sub-opposite, three-to five-lobed with a spiral phyllotaxis.

Flowers
The petiole length ranges between 6-23 mm. The inflorescence is formed in the leaf axil. Flowers are formed terminally, individually, with female flowers usually slightly larger, and occur in the hot seasons. In conditions where continuous growth occurs, an unbalance of pistil late or staminate flower production results in a higher number of female flowers.

Fruits
Fruits are produced in winter when the shrub is leafless, or it may produce several crops during the year if soil moisture is good and temperatures are sufficiently high. Each inflorescence yields a bunch of approximately 10 or more ovoid fruits. A three, bi-valved cocci is formed after the seeds mature and the fleshy exocarp dries.

Seeds
The seeds become mature when the capsule changes from green to yellow, after 2 to 4 months.

Flowering and Fruiting Habit
The trees are deciduous, shedding the leaves in the dry season. Flowering occurs during the wet season and two flowering peaks are often seen. In permanently humid regions, flowering occurs throughout the year. The seeds mature about 3 months after flowering. Early growth is fast and with good rainfall conditions, nursery plants may bear fruits after the first rainy season and direct sown plants after the second rainy season. The flowers are pollinated by insects especially honey bees.

Ecological Requirements
Jatropha Curcas grows almost anywhere, even on gravelly, sandy, and saline soils. It can thrive on the poorest, stony soil. It can grow even in the crevices of rocks. The leaves shed during the winter months form mulch around the base of the plant. The organic matter from the shed leaves enhance earthworm activity in the soil around the root-zone of the plants, which improves the overall fertility of the soil.

Regarding climate, Jatropha Curcas is found in the tropics and subtropics and likes heat, although it does well even in lower temperatures and can withstand a light frost. Its water requirement is extremely low and it can stand long periods of drought by shedding most of its leaves to reduce transpiration loss. Jatropha is also suitable for preventing soil erosion and shifting of sand dunes.

Biophysical Limits
Altitude: 0-500 m

Mean annual temperature: 20°C to 28°C

Mean to annual rainfall: 300-1,000 mm or more

Soil type: Grows on well-drained soils with good aeration and is well adapted to marginal soils with low nutrient content. In heavy soils, root formation is reduced. Jatropha is a highly adaptable species, but its strength as a crop comes from its ability to grow on very poor and dry sites.
 

Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs, and trees (some are deciduous, like Jatropha curcas L.), from the family Euphorbiaceae. Jatropha is native to Central America ^[1], and has become naturalized in many tropical and subtropical areas, including India, Africa, and North America. Originating in the Caribbean, jatropha was spread as a valuable hedge plant to Africa and Asia by Portuguese traders. The mature, small trees bear male and female inflorescence and do not grow very tall.

The hardy jatropha is resistant to drought and pests, and produces seeds containing up to 40% oil. When the seeds are crushed and processed, the resulting oil can be used in a standard diesel engine, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants.^[2]

Goldman Sachs recently cited Jatropha curcas as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production

When jatropha seeds are crushed, the resulting jatropha oil can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel that can be used in a standard diesel car, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants.^[1]

The plant yields more than four times as much fuel per acre as soybean, and more than ten times that of corn.

Researchers at Daimler Chrysler Research explored the use of jatropha oil for automotive use, concluding that although jatropha oil as fuel "has not yet reached optimal quality, ... it already fulfills the EU norm for biodiesel quality". Three Mercedes cars powered by Jatropha diesel have already put some 30,000 kilometers behind them. The project is supported by DaimlerChrysler and by the German Association for Investment and Development (Deutschen Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, DEG.

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