Abstract
In context of energy crisis and global warming, Jatropha curcas offers a great potential to combat fuel shortage and minimize carbon emissions. J. curcas is a potential candidate for biofuel as it is drought tolerant, has high seed oil content and is not browsed by animals. The tested advantage of blended biodiesel lies in its use in vehicles without any engine modification. A lot of hype was created earlier for Jatropha as a “wonder shrub”, but much of it was without supporting data and the outcomes raised questions on its large scale cultivation. Our research showed great variability in germplasm for agronomic parameters, oil content, male: female flower ratio. Agronomic practices experiments showed response to fertility management, spacing, pruning, growth hormones and mycorrhizae application. Jatropha can survive under low water availability, but needs sufficient water for higher yields. Currently available plant material productivity is low (1–2 t ha−1) with variations among years due to rainfall variability. Low or high rainfall in waterlogging prone soils reduces yields significantly (0.1 t ha−1 during 2010 in black soils). In block plantations, insect pests and diseases are potential threats. The years 2009 and 2010 witnessed a large number of plant loss in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh due to black rot disease caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea. In spite of the challenges, Jatropha has the potential of greening degraded lands by converting non-productive evaporation into productive transpiration. During gestation period (4–5 years) of Jatropha plantation, yields of one ton or more can be obtained from inter-cropping with sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea and soybean based on soil fertility. In addition to biodiesel, the seed cake which is a by-product is a good source of N (∼5 %) and other nutrients for use in plantation and crop production. Jatropha fixes and adds to soil per annum around 1,500 kg C ha−1 through deoiled cake, leaf fall plus pruned loppings and builds organic carbon content of degraded lands. Biofuel replacement of 250 kg C equivalent ha−1 in the fossil fuel and more than 5,000 kg C ha−1 sequestered in live plant biomass renders ecosystem service. Jatropha plant cover also reduces soil loss. Along with numerous benefits, being in domain of unprivileged, biodiesel plantation activities generates employment opportunities and social mainstreaming of the weaker sections. Current findings with available material show that with increased labour costs and low productivity, it is not a viable option for biodiesel. But, in remote areas, non-edible vegetable oil as a source of energy produced on degraded lands in decentralized manner is a viable option to meet energy demand in rural areas. In view of the current problems, there is a need to apply science to develop high yielding cultivars tolerant to pests, increase female: male flower ratios and address the problem of synchronized flowering to reduce harvesting costs.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Achten WMJ, Almeida J, Fobelets V, Bolle E, Mathijs E, Singh VP et al (2010) Life cycle assessment of Jatropha biodiesel as transportation fuel in rural India. Appl Energ 87:3652–3660
D’Silva E, Wani SP, Nagnath B (2004) The making of new Powerguda: community empowerment and new technologies transform a problem village in Andhra Pradesh. Global theme on agroecosystems report No 11, ICRISAT, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, p 28
Divakara BN, Upadhyaya HD, Wani SP, Gowda CLL (2010) Biology and genetic improvement of Jatropha curcas L.: a review. Appl Energy 87:732–742
Garg KK, Karlberg L, Wani SP, Berndes G (2011) Jatropha production on watersheds in India: opportunities and trade-offs for soil and water management at the watershed scale. Biofuels Bioprod Biorefining 5:410–430
Government of India (2010) Wasteland Atlas of India, Government of India (GOI), Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Land Resources, New Delhi. Available from www.dolr.nic.in/wasteland_atlas.htm
Grass M, Zeller M, Wani SP, Sreedevi TK (2011) Jatropha fuel from India’s wastelands: a financial analysis of different Jatropha production scenarios linked to possible crude oil price developments. J Fund Renew Energ Appl, Ashdin Publishing
ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics) (2008) Supporting the Farmers’ activities in the value-chain of biofuels, annual project report (October 2007–March 2008), ICRISAT, Patancheru
ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics) (2010) Harnessing the potential of water-use efficient bio-energy crops for enhancing livelihood opportunities of smallholder farmers in Asia, Africa and Latin America, annual project report (2009–10), ICRISAT, Patancheru
IEA (International Energy Agency) (2007) World energy outlook 2007, China and India insights. International Energy Agency, Paris
Osman M, Wani SP, Balloli SS, Sreedevi TK, Srinivasa Rao Ch, D’Silva E (2009) Pongamia seed cake as a valuable source of plant nutrients for sustainable agriculture. Indian J Fert 2(25–6):29–31
Rao YVH, Voleti RS, Hariharan VS, Raju AVS (2008) Jatropha oil methyl ester and its blends used as an alternative fuel in diesel engine. Int J Agric Biol Eng 1:32–38
Sreedevi TK, Wani SP, Osman M, Tiwari S (2009) Rehabilitation of degraded lands in watersheds. Proceedings of the comprehensive assessment of watershed programs in India, 25–27 July 2007, ICRISAT, Patancheru, pp 205–220
Srinivasa Rao Ch, Vittal KPR, Venkateswarlu B, Wani SP, Sahrawat KL, Marimuthu S et al (2009) Carbon stocks in different soil types under diverse rainfed production systems in tropical India. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 40:2338–2356
Srinivasa Rao Ch, Kumari MP, Wani SP, Marimuthu S (2011) Occurrence of black rot in Jatropha curcas L. plantations in India caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea. Curr Sci 100(10):1547–1549
Srivastava P (2005) Poverty targeting in India. In: Weiss J (ed) Poverty targeting in Asia. Edward Eigar Publishing Limited, Cheltenham, pp 34–78
Susanna P (2009) Assessing environmental impacts of rehabilitated degraded uplands in watershed with Jatropha plantation. M.Sc. dissertation JNTU, Kukatpally, Hyderabad, ICRISAT, Patancheru
Tatikonda L, Wani SP, Kannan S, Beerelli N, Sreedevi TK, Hoisington DA et al (2009) AFLP-based molecular characterization of an elite germplasm collection on Jatropha curcas L., a biofuel plant. Plant Sci 76:505–513
Wani SP, Pathak P, Jangawad LS, Eswaran H, Singh P (2003) Improved management of vertisols in the semiarid tropics for increased productivity and soil carbon sequestration. Soil Use Manage 19:217–222
Wani SP, Osman M, D’Silva E, Sreedevi TK (2006) Improved livelihoods and environmental protection through biodiesel plantations in Asia. Asian Biotechnol Dev Rev 8:11–29
Wani SP, Marimuthu S, Sreedevi TK, Srinivasa Rao CH (2009a) Collection, evaluation of germplasm, standardization of agro-techniques and Pilot demonstration for Jatropha curcas L. in Rain Shadow Districts of Andhra Pradesh. Annual progress report 2008–09 of RSAD project, ICRISAT, Patancheru
Wani SP, Sreedevi TK, Marimuthu S, Kesava Rao AVR, Vineela C (2009b) Harnessing the potential of Jatropha and Pongamia plantations for improving livelihoods and rehabilitating degraded lands. In: Proceedings of 6th international Biofuels conference, Winrock International, New Delhi, 4–5 March 2009, pp 256–272
Wani SP, Sreedevi TK, Rockstrom J, Ramakrishna YS (2009c) Rain-fed agriculture—past trend and future prospects. In: Wani SP, Rockstrom J, Oweis T (eds) Rain-fed agriculture: unlocking the potential. Comprehensive assessment of water management in agriculture series. CAB International, Wallingford
Wani SP, Chander G, Sahrawat KL, Srinivasa Rao Ch, Raghavendra G, Susanna P et al (2012) Carbon sequestration and land rehabilitation through Jatropha curcas L. plantationin degraded lands. Agric Ecosyst Environ doi:10.1016/j.agee.2012.07.028
Acknowledgements
The support from National Oilseeds and Vegetable Oils Development, Government of India is duly acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wani, S.P., Chander, G. (2012). Jatropha curcas Biodiesel, Challenges and Opportunities: Is it a Panacea for Energy Crisis, Ecosystem Service and Rural Livelihoods?. In: Carels, N., Sujatha, M., Bahadur, B. (eds) Jatropha, Challenges for a New Energy Crop. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4806-8_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4806-8_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-4805-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-4806-8
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)