Jatropa curcas belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae is a small evergreen tree or softwood shrub 3-4 metres in height.native to America and cultivated in tropical parts of the world. It is a monoecious plant.Each inforescence yields a bunch of 10 or more ovoid fruits. seeds mature 2-4 months after fertilization.
Jatropha can be grown on the poorest soils either sandy, saline, stony or even in the crevices of rocks.Jatropha can even stand drowth.Jatropha is propagated by seeds and
cuttings.5-6 kg of seeds or 45-100 cm cuttings taken from the base of the plant can planted at a distance of 2m.Flowering of jatropha depending on the season takes place between September to december.Fruits mature 2-4 months after flowering and turn yellow when matured.
yield starts by second year if cuttings are used or from fourth year if seeds are used.In irrigated conditions yield increases from 250kg per
hectare to 12 tonnes per hectare in the sixth year.In rainfed conditions yield increases from 1
ton per hectare to 4 ton per hectare in the sixth year.the blackish thin shelled seeds resemble castor seeds.Solvent
extraction method of
oil extraction is more efficient.Jatopha seeds contain moisture 6.62%, protein 18.2%, fat 32%, carbohydrates 17.3%, fibre 15.50% and ash 4.5%.Oil content is 35.40% of seed weight and 50-60% of the kernal.Oil contains 21% of saturated fatty acids and 79% of unsaturated fatty acids.It also contains some poisonous chemicals.A non poisonous species of jatropha is reported from Brazil.The latex of jatropha has anticancerous properties,roots act as an antidote for snakebite, oilcake is used as a manure,leaves are a food for Tasser silk moths.Jatropha is next to oilpalm in energy content.Afforestation anf refforestation of degraded wastelands with jatropha can convert unproductive lands into productive national assets.
More abstracts about the Jatropa oil Biofuel of the future.