Will be Jatropha a high quality bio energy plant with future in the tropes?
How is water use efficency in relation to localy food crops ? Will it be a land grapping crop and the localy food production a looser? Where and how could it be a high efficent enrichment in the plant crop production? Which ecololgical value has Jatropha and for plant biodiversity? I read many contradictory statements. What is right and wrong of the arguments of environmentalists against Jatropha? The german Wikipedia article for Jatropha looks to me far to optimistic.
Many thanks! J HUMER
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatropha
http://www.n-tv.de/wissen/Daimler-foerdert-Jatropha-Biodiesel-article719322.html
http://www.heise.de/tr/artikel/Der-grosse-Durst-der-Jatropha-276525.html
http://jatropha.pro/PDF%20bestanden/extraordinary%20collaps.pdf
Personally in 2002-03 I was very much optimistic regarding Jetropha as a future fuel for transportation. With an NGO we planted many Jatropha plants in many areas of Indian state Uttarakhand . But unfortunately this plant did not accommodate itself to the local conditions . Its survival rate is very poor.
According to my views it is highly climate dependent. Proper research should be done before plantation of Jatropha.
Jatropha has huge potential, i still believe in that but proper planning is required before plantation.
Ya its true that many research paper are very contradictory. it depends on you what you think and how you proceed.
Best wishes for you, Hope you get some right directions regarding Jatropha.
Jatropha in its mother land is having great problems of deseases when it is cultivated under monocrops. We need more research in this area, but few people is involved here and there is a lack of cooperation among researchers from different institutions.
for transportation fuels, jatropha is one of the good option because its non-edible oil and mostly edible oils are used for biofuel
Dear all,
Actually Jatropha became a promising raw feedstock for biodiesel production. Jatropha is very suitable for any weather conditions, even at the place with the harsh conditions (hot weather, barren land). However, now the petroleum price is unwanted decreasing. This affected the investment policy for biodiesel production in many countries.
However, the development of biodiesel from renewable resources should be considered as much as possible because of the benefits both environment and humanity.
Regards,
Dang
Hello Mr. Dang,
are there good yielding Jatropha plantations in Thailand that you are so optimistic on Jatropha? J HUMER
Dear Mr. J Humer,
I am from Vietnam. Now I am studying PhD program in Thailand. My major is about the biodiesel production from palm oil - a popular renewable energy resource in Thailand.
About Jatropha curcas, this crop is not popular in Thailand and most of the biodiesel factory in Thailand use palm oil as feedstock oil.
In Vietnam, Jatropha curcas was invested for plantation about 10 years ago, especially in the western highland of Vietnam where has harsh weather condition. Although there had some Jatropha crop farms, the biodiesel production was only within the research and up to now there has not any biodiesel production factory in Vietnam.
Hope these information will be quite useful for you
Best regards,
Dang
Dear Johann,
You might find the following articles on Jatropha listed below useful.
Dr. Emmanuel Ackom
UNEP DTU Partnership
Denmark
Article Analysis of national Jatropha biodiesel programme in Senegal
Article An Alternative Energy Approach to Combating Desertification ...
There is no simple and straight forward answer to this question but rather a complex maze of issues need to be navigated carefully, in order for Jatropha to be used as an energy crop in an environmentally benign manner. What I have attempted to provide below is an oversimplified and generalized feedback.I have however provided links to publications I authored that provides some more information on this issue. It is always important that the Jatropha is local plant and not foreign. This is to avoid the possible introduction of invasive species which would end up doing more harm for to environment in the attempt to cultivate an energy crop. One need to be cognizant of the net energy and net GHG balances in cultivating this crop and there are ways of achieving these in an environmentally benign manner. Not forgetting impact on water etc.
Links to my publications on the issue:
The publication immediately below is an investigation of a national policy on Jatropha and how agro-ecological mapping offers good insight on the where and how to grow the crop without competing with food production and other competing utilization
1. Analysis of national Jatropha biodiesel programme in Senegal Book Biofuel Sustainability: Case Studies and Practical Lessons f...
The publications below covers biofuels in general in relation to sustainability considerations. These papers provides valuable information that are relevant to the Jatropha crop.
2. Book Backgrounder: major environmental criteria of biofuel sustainability
3. Book Bioenergy: The potential for rural development and poverty alleviation
On reading my response and papers do not hesitate to let me know on any questions and or clarifications that you may have.
I hope that you find this useful.
Thank you!