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Govt plans huge plantation of bio diesel plants on unused land in future.

During this year’s krishi Mahaotsav, tree plantation was an important theme. And of 1.31 crore trees planted all over Gujarat, 32,59,344 were jatropha plants. Last year, the government had planted 97.89 lakh plants in different villages of Gujarat. At that time no jatropha plants were planted.

            The state government is also planning to use unused land in Gujarat for jatropha plantation after this monsoon.  Agriculture Minister Mr Dilip Sanghani said “We plan to use that type land which is useless for other crops. The state government will also use some central government’s subsidy for jatropha plantation in Gujarat”.

Source: DNA, Ahmedabad, Friday, June 13, 2008

Jatropha - Jatropha is a non-edible evergreen shrub found in Asia, Africa and the West Indies. Its seeds contain a high proportion of oil which can be used for making biodiesel.

Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees (some are deciduous, like Jatropha curcas L.), from the family Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from (Greek iatros = physician and trophe = nutrition), hence the common name physic nut. Jatropha is native to Central America and has become naturalized in many tropical and subtropical areas, including India, Africa, and North America. Originating in the Caribbean, Jatropha was spread as a valuable hedge plant to Africa and Asia by Portuguese traders. The mature small trees bear separate male and female flowers, and do not grow very tall. As with many members of the family Euphorbiaceae, Jatropha contains compounds that are highly toxic.

The hardy Jatropha is resistant to drought and pests, and produces seeds containing up to 40% oil. When the seeds are crushed and processed, the resulting oil can be used in a standard diesel engine, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants.

Goldman Sachs recently cited Jatropha curcas as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production.

In India, BioFuel is not of special importance for TRANSPORT FUEL or ENERGY SECURITY, but for the UPLIFTMENT of RURAL POOR, which are neglected by the booming IT industry and urban middle class and for CORRECTING CLIMATE IMBALANCE. To reduce the widening gap, Biofuel production offers chances for social and rural development amongst some of the world’s poorest people, namely farmers in developing countries. By cultivating energy crops, these communities can diversify their crop portfolio, generate substantial incomes and hence increase their economic power and ultimately their food security, health and well being. On the level of the state, biofuel production can cut fossil fuel imports and dependency, and thus free up funds that can be invested in social and economic development.

The ex-President of India and Eminent Scientist, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has understood the importance of Jatropha and he advocates its plantation in every lecture. He has also planted 800 Jatropha plants in Presidential (Mogul) Gardens.

India to see Jatropha Revolution

India is all set to witness a bio-fuel revolution soon. As part of this, several states have chalked out plans to increase production of bio-fuel.

One major plant, which will decide the success of India’s bio-fuel plans, will be jatropha. Several states have already initiated steps to promote jatropha plantations in barren lands.

Former President Dr Abdul Kalam is a strong advocate of jatropha biodiesel. In a speech in 2006, he said out of the 60 million hectares of wasteland available in India, over 30 million ha are suitable for jatropha cultivation.

Recently, the State Bank of India provided a further boost to the cultivation of jatropha by signing a memorandum of understanding with D1 Mohan to give loans totalling Rs 1.3 billion to local farmers in India, to be paid back with the money that D1 Mohan pays for the harvested jatropha seeds.

The Indian Railways have started to use jatropha oil blended with diesel to power its diesel engines with great success.

Many Indian states have already jumped onto the jatropha train, including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Jatropha has been held up as a reliable source of income for India’s poor rural farmers, providing energy self-sufficiency, while reducing fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Several states have distributed plants free of charge to small farmers, encouraging private investment in jatropha plantations and setting up biodiesel processing plants. The ministry of rural development, which is to coordinate the national mission on biofuel when it is approved, estimates that there are already between 500 000 to 600 000 ha of jatropha growing across India.

India is not alone. China claims to have 2 million ha of jatropha under cultivation, and announced plans to plant an additional 11 million across its southern states by 2010. Burma has plans to plant several million ha, and the Philippines, and several African countries have initiated large-scale plantations of their own. So far there are 200000 ha of jatropha in Malawi and 15 000 ha in Zambia, almost all under a formal lease or agreements with the UK-based company D1-Oils.

There are many uncertainties over the potential of jatropha as a biodiesel crop. The plant has never been domesticated. Its yield is not predictable, the conditions for optimum growth is not well defined, and the potential impacts of large-scale cultivation not known.

Chhattisgarh has the most well-developed jatropha biodiesel programme in the country. It has given away 380 million jatropha seedlings to farmers, enough to cover 150 000 ha, and also provided 80 oil presses to various village governing bodies with guarantees to buy back jatropha seeds at 6.5 rupees a kg. Several local micro-refinery businesses have sprung up across the state to provide biodiesel for tractors, irrigation pumps, jeeps and village power generators.

The widespread government support has attracted foreign investments. UK-based D1 Oils, the world’s largest commercial cultivator of jatropha, has around 80,000 hectares in Chhattisgarh and in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, with plans for an additional 350000 ha over the next several years. The state government funds jatropha seeds and D1 Oils guarantees to buy the harvested seeds at the price prescribed by the state.

D1 Oils’ Indian operations is focusing on research on yield, and the company is testing a number of jatropha varieties to find which grows best in India’s varied climatic regions. But research remains fragmentary and uncoordinated.

Jatropha curcas is a poisonous scrub weed of the euphorbia family originating in Central America. Among its chief selling point as a bioenergy crop is that it grows in marginal, eroded land, and is resistant to drought. So it is not expected to compete for land that could grow food, nor would it require a lot of water, or fertilisers and pesticides

Company related:

1) Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. (JISL)

JISL has already established over 1.5 lac Jatropha plants on R&D farm of Jain Hi-tech Agri Institute, JHAI. These plants are being reared in varying soil types, and irrigated as well as dryland cultivated. Research has been planned for determining Jatropha growth promoters for higher seed yields and oil content. Seed selection and improvement is also being vigorously pursued. Search for superior planting material through tissue culture is already begun. Over a dozen field trials have been instituted. The world literature on Jatropha is being accessed together with search for establishing link for processing know-how and technology for refining of Jatropha oil into world standard Bio-diesel.

JISL is all set and committed for the Jatropha Yadnya, first of its kind in Maharashtra and possibly in India too.

How can JISL bring prosperity to farmers thru Jatropha cultivation ?

JISL has evolved an integrated approach towards Jatropha cultivation and is committed to :

• Supply of vibrant seedlings and/or elite tissue culture derived plants.

• Provide Jain BioSamruddhi organic manure for speedy and vigorous growth.

• Install drip system to bring higher yield of seeds and improve oil content.

• Provide agronomic support for success of cultivation thru contract farming.

• Assure seed buy-back at a minimum guaranteed price of Rs. 5/kg.

How can farmers achieve higher productivity and profitability ?

• Plant at 2×2 m in 60×60x60 cm pit filled with soil mixed with 2 kg organic manure.

• Drip irrigate, if possible; monsoon, little; winter, fortnightly; summer, frequently.

• Prune main stem upon 1.5 m growth for profuse branching and higher seed yield.

• Spray foliage with growth promoters for higher yield of seeds and oil.

• Ensure maximum exposure to sunlight for enhancing seed yield.

• Use inter-cropping for first 2-3 years for income while Jatropha plants mature.

Why cultivation of Jatropha only ?

The cogent reasons are : Jatropha plants…

• Grow even on marginal/saline/acidic/alkaline soils and slopy lands.

• Develop without much care and irrigation.

• Suit even dry-land farming and survive drought.

• Provide live hedge for farms to arrest the menace of stray cattle.

• Generate rural employment for cultivation, seed collection and processing.

• Need hardly any application of pesticide.

• Generate net income for 35-40 years @ about Rs.10,000/acre, from 4th year.

• Improve soil fertility throughout their life-cycle.

• Provide fuel wood after 50 years’ life-span.

• Possess medicinal as well as other multiple uses.

• Create green cover for long term ecological benefits.

• Enhance energy security for the country.

Alternative fuel: GM, Daimler & M&M plan Jatropha ride
15 Jul, 2008

Driven by soaring crude prices, auto giants General Motors, Daimler Chrysler and M&M have placed their bets on Jatropha. GM and Daimler Chrysler are not just getting the alternate fuel tested on their vehicles but also nurturing Jatropha cultivation for widescale experiments.

Gujarat-based Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) is aiding these companies realise their aspirations to use Jatropha as an alternate fuel in their futuristic engines.

While European automotive player Daimler’s Jatropha plantations across Gujarat and Orissa are already in their fourth year, US auto giant GM will join the race to cultivate Jatropha across 75-80 hectares of wasteland in Gujarat.

General Motors (India) president and MD Karl Slym told ET: “GM has already invested $0.5 million (in the first phase) to get biodiesel derived from Jatropha tested in six of its vehicles at CSMCRI’s facility (at Bhavnagar).” “There does not seem to be an end to the hike in crude oil prices.

GM is very aggressive about using alternate fuel in its vehicles. So be it electric vehicles (tests are on in the US market) or LPG and CNG variants, we are seeking the final answer to the problem. Shortly, we will enter into another agreement with CSMCRI for contract farming of Jatropha,” Mr Slym remarked.

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