1. Why Jatropha Trees ?
•Jatropha nuts or seeds contain more than 37 per cent oil, that can be processed into Jatropha Methyl Ester (JME) or Jatropha Biodiesel

•Jatropha can grow almost anywhere (idle lands not suited for any other crops)

•Jatropha farming business gives you a sure profit in from the first year.

•A kilo of jatropha seed is between N200 – N300. A tonne is between N200,000 – N300,000

2. Jatropha trees
•Jatropha curcas is a drought-resistant perennial, growing well in marginal or poor soil.

• It is easy to establish, grows relatively quickly and lives, producing seeds for 40 -50 years.

• Jatropha, the wonder plant, produces seeds with an oil content of 37 per cent.

• The oil can be combusted as fuel without being refined.

• It burns with clear smoke-free flame, tested successfully as fuel for simple diesel engine.

• The by-products are  a good organic fertilizer. The oil contains also insecticide.

• In the recent past, bio-fuel derived from plant species have been a major renewable source of energy.

• Jatropha curcas is one of the most promising sources of bio-fuel today.

•Jatropha curcas grows on a wide range of climates and soils.

• Jatropha plant can be established on degraded, gravely, sandy or loamy soil with adequate nutrient content.

3. Advantages of Jatropha trees
• Unlike soybeans, canola and many other agricultural sources of biodiesel feedstock, Jatropha can be cultivated on dry, semi-dry or non-agricultural land.

• This means growing Jatropha never has to compete with growing food.

• On a per-acre basis, Jatropha can yield up to 2 times the amount of oil compared to other sources of biodiesel

• The oil can be easily processed into bio-fuel which can be used as a substitute for fossil fuel and can most importantly: increase local employment and help the local economy to grow.

• Jatropha can help to increase rural incomes, self-sustainability and alleviate poverty for women, elderly, children and men, tribal communities, small farmers.

• It can as well help to increase income from plantations and agro-industries .

• Oil can be extracted from the Jatropha nuts within one year planted.

• After the trees reached its full production period (about 4 years), an annual net yield of seeds is the range from 1,200 kg to 1,600 kg per 200 trees.

• The kernels consist of oil to about 60 per cent;

•This can be transformed into biodiesel fuel through etherification.

4. Description of Jatropha
• LEAVES: It has large green to pale-green leaves, alternate to sub-opposite, three-to five-lobed with a spiral phyllotaxis.

• The petiole length ranges between 6-23 mm. The inflorescence is formed in the leaf axel. FLOWERS are formed terminally and individually, with female flowers usually slightly larger and occurs in the hot seasons.

• FRUITS: it may produce several crops during the year if soil moisture is good and temperatures are sufficiently high.

• Each inflorescence yields a bunch of about 10 or more ovoid fruits. A three, bi-valved cocci is formed after the seeds mature and the fleshy excerpt dries.

• The SEEDS become mature when the capsule changes from green to yellow, after two to four months.

5. Uses of Jatropha
• JATROPHA OIL :  Candles and soap, as a smoke-free illuminant, cooking or electricity and biodiesel.

• SEED CAKE : Cake remaining after the oil is pressed out, can be used for fertilizing (organic manure, as the oil cake is rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium)

• GLYCERINE: A by-product of biodiesel production, which can be used to make a high-quality soap or refined and sold at a range of prices, depending on its purity, to be used in an immense range of products, including cosmetics, toothpaste, embalming fluids, pipe joint cement, cough medicine and tobacco (as a moistening agent).

FOR further reading go to: www.haurabiofuels.com.sg