Most of the biodiesel produced today is using excess Soy, Palm or Rapeseed oil as raw material. Additional supply of these oils is limited, as these need scarce farm land.

Jatropha Oil

1. Reproducible, Green fuel

2. Absorbs and Reduces carbon dioxide (Green House Gas) from air. Less particulate pollution

3. Raw materials can be produced locally

4. Greening of desert and fallow lands

5. Low water requirements

6. No load on lands used for food

Life cycle CO2 from air, water from soil absorbed by

1. Crops or Plantations

2. Oil produced in Seeds

3. Burning Oil in Diesel Engine

4. CO₂ and Water back to air

Africa

1. Abundant Unproductive Land

2. Good rainfall in and around Central Part of Africa

3. Local Manpower for Plantation

4. Investment from Europe

Properties of Jatropha Oil

1. Specific Gravity : 0.840 - 0.920

2. Saponification number : 189 - 195

3. Iodine number : 90 - 102

4. Unsaponifiable matter : <1.0 %

5. Water content : <0.2 %

6. Free Fatty Acids : 2 – 5 %

7. Viscosity @ 100°F : 37 to 39 cST

Germplasm collection

1. We have Germplasm collection from different parts of India (Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chattisgarh) and abroad (Mexico, Brazil, Mali, South Africa, Zimbabwe)

2. Till date we have collected 274 accessions, oil content varying from 25-40%

Already planted all 274 accessions in field for evaluation.

It is under trial to evolve new high seed and oil yielding variety.

Standardization of tissue culture protocol for fast multiplication of elite genotypes.

Plantation is done on 6,000 acres.

Standardization of Agronomical Practices

Planting geometry and density of Plants in One Acre

1. Square planting : 6’x6’ = 1210 /Acre

2. Hedgerow planting : 8’x4’ = 1361 /Acre

3. Hedgerow planting : 10’x3’= 1452 /Acre

4. Double Hedgerow : 8’x4’x4’= 1815 /Acre

Planting geometry and density in One Hectare

1. Square planting : 6’x6’ = 2964/Ha

2. Hedgerow planting : 8’x4’ = 3334/Ha

3. Hedgerow planting : 10’x3’= 2860/Ha

4. Double Hedgerow : 8’x4’x4’= 4446/Ha

Performance of Jatropha under different irrigation conditions and determination of irrigation Requirement

1. Drip irrigation

2. Survival irrigation

3. Rain-fed

Performance of Jatropha under different soil conditions

1. Planting on terraced hill in light rocky (brick like) soil

2. Planting on hills with rocky (brick like) soil

3. Planting on marginally cultivated hills with rocky (brick like) soil

4. Planting in sandy loam normal soils

Effect of Pinching and pruning on branching, flowering and fruiting

1. Pinching after one month of planting

2. Pinching after two months of planting

3. Pruning in April

4. Pruning in May

Determination of fertilizer requirement

1. At the time of setting up nursery

2. At the time of plantation

3. After three months of plantation

4. During dry season

5. After one year of plantation

1. Southern states of India like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu.

2. Southern and southwestern states of United States like Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, California, Nevada.

3. South East Asia, sub Saharan Africa.

1. Internal Rate of Return for First 3 years is negative but positive later on.

2. Plantation income for 50 years.