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Jatropha (BioDiesel) Oil Production
Jatropha is a hardy shrub, traditionally known in many subtropical and semi-arid regions for its medicinal properties. It is widely used in the form of protective hedges around fields (live-fences) to prevent animals from grazing crops.
Since Jatropha seeds and green leaves are poisonous, it works as a very effective barrier.
Long qualified as an interesting but "underutilized" crop, it is now being increasingly used in reforestation programs in tropical countries because it thrives in poor-quality soil and on land suffering from erosion.
Within the biodiesel industry, the Jatropha Curcas tree is one of the few feedstock crops that can be used on non-food land.
Growing Jatropha does not displace food crops.
Although Jatropha comprises approximately 70 species, there is only one - the Jatropha Curcas L. Euphorbiaceae - suitable for Jatropha Oil Production.
Originally, the Jatropha industry was only small-scale and used mainly for live fencing, medicinal purposes, and soap production. Sizable Jatropha plantations were only established when the world's oil crisis demanded extra capacities of biodiesel feedstock. Although Indonesia and India have considerable Jatropha plantations, there are only a few others scattered throughout the world.
JatrophaTech is now planting in Mexico, Brazil
and Kenya.
Today we find numerous countries adopting the Jatropha tree to subsidize their energy needs and lower their oil imports, or for use as a commercially viable export earner. This new transformation from small-scale to plantation production has created a need for new technology to address plant growth and yield enhancements for Jatropha Oil Production.
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