Land Preparation

Before plantation, the selected fields have to be necessarily prepared for easy root penetration and proper growth of the plants. Land is leveled and a disc plough is used to plough the field. Pits of 30x30 cm may be dug and filled with soil and organic manure before planting. For better establishment of seedlings, rainy seasons may be preferred for planting.

Propagation

Jatropha is normally propagated through seeds. It can even be propagated through stem cuttings. When propagated through seeds, well developed plump seeds are selected for sowing. Before sowing, seeds are soaked in cow dung solution for 12 hours and then kept under the wet jute bags for 12 hours. The seeds start germinating. These germinated seeds are then sown in poly bags of about 10 x 20 cm size filled with red soil, sand and farm yard manure in the ratio of 1:1:1 respectively. These plants are kept under controlled conditions with proper manure and water for 2-3 months. Within this time, the plant reaches a stage wherein it can be put in fields. When propagating through stem cuttings, the stems from healthy plants are cut and directly planted in plastic bags. After 2-3 months, they too become full plants with roots.
These plants are then planted in large fields on 2 Meters X 2 meters basis. This way, about 1000 plants are planted in 1 acre of land or 2500 plants are planted on 1 hectare of land.

Plant Life

The Life of plant is about 50 Years. Starting from 4 Year onwards, the plant lives for about 50 years bearing oilseeds every year. There may be few plants that die early, but the numbers are negligible. All one needs to do then is replace them with new ones from own nursery. One can even sow a stem cutting from another plant. This cutting will grow into a full sized plant very soon.

Harvesting

After the fruits ripen, they start drying and turn dark brown from bright green color. This is the right time to harvest the fruits. The fruits are collected by hands and then cut open to get the seeds. These seeds can then be used either for planting more trees or extracting oil for bio diesel production.

Once the plant reaches the final stage wherein it produces maximum output i.e. after 3 to 4 years, it will keep on producing oilseeds for 40-50 years. All one needs to do is irrigate them as per schedule laid and harvest them whenever they bear seeds.

Output

The crop will give the desired output in 3 to 4 years, but will start producing seeds from the end of 1st year also. Though the quantity of the produce will not be much, but it covers basic operating costs to a great extent. The 1st produce from the plant is a premium output with higher oil content. These seeds are of most premium quality and should be used only for planting replanting. Oil extraction is possible, but it will be a waste as getting more saplings will have better value.

The output in the first year is about 20% of the full output and is about 50% in the 2nd Year. 3rd year onwards, the output is almost the maximum the plant can bear.

Irrigation Requirement

Jatropha plant survives well in draughts and areas with little irrigation or no irrigation, though, the output will get affected. For best results, Jatropha should be irrigated once every two weeks. Drop Irrigation system best suits Jatropha plantations.

When Jatropha is newly planted, irrigating every 3rd day is a must for about 3 months. After that, the above system can be used.

Man Power Requirement

The requirement is of 110 man days per acre during the implementation stage. This would include site preparation, digging, manuring, planting, irrigating, weeding, monitoring etc. Afterwards, one requires about two to three persons per 25 acres of land for irrigation, weeding, monitoring etc. In this scenario, drip irrigation system is used. For Harvesting, about 45 to 50 Man Days are required per acre of land to finish the task.

110 Man days means, if 1 man is working, it will take him 110 days and if 10 people are employed, it will take them 11 days to finish the task.

You may contact me for any detail regarding Jatropha Plantation on jainsushant@hotmail.com - Moderator

Botanical Features of Jatropha Curcas

It is a small tree or shrub with smooth gray bark, which exudes whitish colored, watery, latex when cut. Normally, it grows between three and five meters in height, but can attain a height of up to eight or ten meters under favorable conditions.

Leaves: It has large green to pale-green leaves, deciduous, alternate but apically crowded, ovate, acute to acuminate, basally cordate, 3 to 5-lobed in outline with a spiral phyllotaxis, 6–40 cm long, 6–35 cm broad.
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 blossoms in the hot seasons. In conditions where continuous growth occurs, an unbalance of pistillate 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. Three, bi-valved cocci are formed after the seeds mature and the fleshy exocarp dries.Seeds: The seeds become mature when the capsule changes from green to yellow, after two to four months

Practical Alternative for Marine Market

Bio-Diesel use in the marine market can be practical and safe. In its pure form, Bio-Diesel is less harsh on marine environments and easier for boaters to handle and store.
Bio-Diesel can work in several marine factions. Because Bio-Diesel can replace or blend with petroleum diesel without engine modifications, it is a viable alternative to several categories of the marine industry, including: recreational boats, inland commercial and ocean-going commercial ships, research vessels and the U.S. Coast Guard Fleet. Today, much of the emphasis is on recreational boats, which consume about 95 million gallons of diesel fuel annually.
Bio-Diesel is a safe alternative fuel. Bio-Diesel has a higher flash point than regular diesel. It is classified as non-flammable by the NFPA, and is not required to carry a Hazardous Material label when being shipped.
Bio-Diesel is easier on engines. Bio-Diesel blended as low as a 2% rate with low sulfer or ultra-low sulfer petroleum diesel increases lubricity to traditional high sulfur diesel fuel levels. Field tests indicate that engine life is increased with Bio-Diesel usage.
Bio-Diesel is "user-friendly." The use of Bio-Diesel and Bio-Diesel blends results in a noticeable change in exhaust odor. The reduction in smell and change of odor are easier on ship workers and pleasure craft boaters. In fact, it's been compared to the smell of French fries. Users also report no eye irritation. Since Bio-Diesel is oxygenated, diesel engines have more complete combustion than when using petroleum fuel.

Why Bio Diesel

The world needs greener transport fuel. Climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions is now accepted as fact. Fossil fuel prices are rising and energy supplies look less secure. Transport is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In response, demand is growing rapidly for alternative fuels such as Bio-Diesel that pollute less and can be produced from sustainable agricultural crops.

Petroleum diesel produces high levels of carbon dioxide, CO2, a greenhouse gas that is a significant contributor to global warming. It also produces other harmful pollutants like carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that causes smog; particulates that contribute to respiratory infections, including asthma; sulfur that causes acid rain; and unburned aromatic hydrocarbons that create smog and may be a contributing cause of cancer.

In comparison, when used either in its pure form or blended with mineral diesel, Bio-Diesel produces significantly lower harmful emissions. Carbon monoxide emissions can be reduced by up to 50% and particulate emissions by up to 30%. Bio-Diesel is virtually free of sulfur and does not contribute to acid rain. The release of unburned aromatics in the air is also significantly reduced.

The overall impact of emissions from Bio-Diesel is reduced because energy crops capture CO2 as they grow. According to research conducted by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the lifecycle of Bio-Diesel crops can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 78% compared to mineral diesel.Bio-Diesel operates in conventional combustion-ignition engines, from light to heavy-duty, just like petroleum diesel. No engine modifications are required, and Bio-Diesel maintains the payload capacity and range of diesel. Since engine modifications are not required, there's no need to change vehicles, spare parts inventories, refueling stations or especially skilled mechanics. Vehicle hoses need to be checked after the first 6 months of operation on Bio-Diesel. Replacement of non-compatible hoses may be necessary, but is not usually difficult or expensive. Blends of 20% or less tend to have little effect on even non-compatible hoses.

Advantages of Jatropha as Bio Diesel

• Jatropha can be grown in dry lands, deserts, uncultivated lands and lands with limited irrigation. It thrives on almost all types of soils like sandy, gravelly or saline soils. It can also grow in high rainfall or low rainfall areas.
• By growing Jatropha plant we can convert uncultivated land into cultivated land.
• Not browsed by animals and birds.
• Growth of Jatropha plant is more than other oilseed bearing plants.
• It bears flower in one year and fruits in two to three years. Jatropha seeds contain about 35-40% oil, which is greater than other plants seeds.
• Jatropha plants can be grown by seeds and grafting. One never needs to sow the seed again and again after each production.
• Jatrophin acid obtained from Jatropha plant is used as medicine in various diseases like Cancer, Paralysis and lever infection. Its green pre mature leaves are used as a medicine for dental disease.
• The Seeds of the plant are useful in cholera, dysentery and stomach disorders. It is effective in skin diseases and is also used as antidote for poisoning.
• Jatropha is a crop with 100% assured market while the market demand for other crops is fluctuating.
• Jatropha holds promise for rural prosperity to the farmers, farm labors and women in terms of employment and income generation.
• The byproduct glycerin emanating out of bio diesel production is used for soap making by self-help groups, which empower the rural woman entrepreneurship.
• Jatropha Oil is also used for making Candles, varnish, lubricants, hydraulic oils etc.
• The processing of Jatropha seeds will create more rural entrepreneurs and also provide employment to young skilled workers.
• Residue obtained after removing oil from seed is used as a fertilizer for erosion soil.
• Jatropha adds richness to the environment by abating carbon, alleviating pollution, conserving oil and preventing soil erosion and desertification.
• As fuel, it is a renewable source, environment friendly with less emissions, blends easily with diesel and there is no need for engine modifications.
• As the Jatropha Bio Diesel can be mixed with petroleum diesel, the diesel consumption could be decreased proportionately resulting in foreign exchange savings and subsidies component of the central Government.

What is Bio Diesel

Bio Diesel is a methyl or ethyl ester of fatty acid made from virgin or used vegetable oils (both edible and non edible) and animal fats. These oils can be transferred into Bio diesel by a special chemical reaction called Trans Esterification. In this process raw oil that contains triglycerides are converted into methyl ester, which helps to lower the oil’s viscosity and eliminates the risk of carbon deposits. Free glycerin is separated out from the oils as byproduct and purified methyl ester is obtained separately. This methyl ester is similar to some extent to Petroleum Diesel and can be used as 100% diesel substitute. Therefore, it is called Bio Diesel.

Just like petroleum diesel, bio diesel operates in compression ignition engines like Diesel Engines and hence does not require separate infrastructure. Bio-Diesel is considered clean fuel since it has no sulfur, no aromatics and has about 10% built in oxygen, which helps it to burn fully. Its higher cetane number improves the ignition quality even when blended in the petroleum diesel.

The main commodity sources of Bio-Diesel in India can be non-edible oils obtained from plants species such as Jatropha Curcas (Ratanjot), Pongamia Pinnata (Karanj), Calophyllum inphyllum (Neg Champa), Hevca Brasiliensis (Rubber) etc. Of these, some species have been evaluated and it has been found that Jatropha Curcas and Pngami Pinnata would be very suitable in our conditions. However, Jatropha Curcas has been found most suitable for the purpose.

Jatropha Curcas is a multipurpose drought resistant plant and belongs to Euphorbiaceae family. In English it is commonly known as purging nut or physic nut. Its growth is rapid and survives well in arid and semi arid tropics. It grows well in marginal/poor soil as well. It bears fruits for about 50 years and the seeds contain 35% to 40% oil and oil extraction can be 90-92%, which is more than other tree borne oil seeds. Jatropha plant is not eaten by animals or birds and does not require much fertilizer input. Raw Curcas oil can be mixed with diesel up to 20% and esterified oil is 100% diesel substitute which is cost-effective, renewable and environmentally safe. With volatility in the price of crude, the use of Bio Diesel is economically feasible as well.

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