Jatropha

Jatropha
Spicy Jatropha (Jatropha integerrima)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Euphorbiaceae
Subfamily:	Crotonoideae
Tribe:	Jatropheae
Genus:	Jatropha L.
Species
Approximately 175, see Section Species.

Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees (some are deciduous, like Jatropha curcas), from the family Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from the Greek words ἰατρός (iatros), meaning "physician," and τροφή (trophe), meaning "nutrition," hence the common name physic nut. Mature plants produce separate male and female flowers. As with many members of the family Euphorbiaceae, Jatropha contains compounds that are highly toxic.

In 2007 Goldman Sachs cited Jatropha curcas as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production. It is resistant to drought and pests, and produces seeds containing 27-40% oil, averaging 34.4%. The remaining press cake of jatropha seeds after oil extraction could also be considered for energy production. However, despite their abundance and use as oil and reclamation plants, none of the Jatropha species have been properly domesticated and, as a result, their productivity is variable, and the long-term impact of their large-scale use on soil quality and the environment is unknown. Igbinosa and colleagues (2009) demonstrated potential broad spectrum antimicrobial activity of J. curcas

Uses

The stems of haat (Jatropha cuneata) are used for basketmaking by the Seri people in Sonora, Mexico. The stems are roasted, split and soaked through an elaborate process. The reddish dye that is often used is made from the root of another plant species, Krameria grayi. Spicy jatropha (J. integerrima) is cultivated as an ornamental in the tropics for its continuously blooming crimson flowers. Buddha belly plant (J. podagrica) was used to tan leather and produce a red dye in Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is also used as a house plant.

Oil and biodiesel

Main article: Jatropha oil

Jatropha curcas seedlings in a greenhouse in Nicaragua

Currently the oil from Jatropha curcas seeds is used for making biodiesel fuel in Philippines and in Brazil, where it grows naturally and in plantations in the southeast, north, and northeast of Brazil. Likewise, jatropha oil is being promoted as an easily grown biofuel crop in hundreds of projects throughout India and other developing countries. Large plantings and nurseries have been undertaken in India by many research institutions, and by women's self-help groups who use a system of microcredit to ease poverty among semiliterate Indian women. The railway line between Mumbai and Delhi is planted with jatropha and the train itself runs on 15-20% biodiesel. In Africa, cultivation of jatropha is being promoted and it is grown successfully in countries such as Mali. In the Gran Chaco of Paraguay, where also a native variety (Jatropha matacensis) grows, studies have shown suitability of Jatropha cultivation and agro producers are starting to consider planting in the region.

Prior to pressing, the seed can be shelled with the Universal Nut Sheller which reduces the arduous task of hand shelling. Once the seeds have been pressed, the remaining cake can be used as feed in digesters and gasifiers to produce biogas for cooking and in engines, or as fertilizer and sometimes even as animal fodder. The whole seed (with oil) can also be used in digesters to produce biogas.

Estimates of jatropha seed yield vary widely, due to a lack of research data, the genetic diversity of the crop, the range of environments in which it is grown, and jatropha's perennial life cycle. Seed yields under cultivation can range from 1,500 to 2,000 kilograms per hectare, corresponding to extractable oil yields of 540 to 680 litres per hectare (58 to 73 US gallons per acre). Time Magazine recently cited the potential for as much as 1,600 gallons of diesel fuel per acre per year.

As of 2011 skepticism about the "miracle" properties of jatropha has been voiced. For example: "The idea that jatropha can be grown on marginal land is a red herring," according to Harry Stourton, business development director of UK-based Sun Biofuels, which cultivates jatropha in Mozambique and Tanzania. "It does grow on marginal land, but if you use marginal land you'll get marginal yields," he said.

Jatropha can also be intercropped with other cash crops such as coffee, sugar, fruits and vegetables.

On Dec. 30, 2008 Air New Zealand successfully completed a test flight from Auckland using a 50/50 mixture of jatropha-oil-derived biofuel and Jet A1 in one of the four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines of a 747 jumbo jet. Air New Zealand announced plans to use the new fuel for 10% of its needs by 2013. At the time of this test, jatropha oil was much cheaper than crude oil, costing an estimated $43 a barrel or about one-third of the June 4, 2008 closing price of $122.30 for a barrel of crude oil. However, the falling cost of oil has since changed the ratio, with crude oil trading in the $34–$48 range per barrel between December 2008 and February 2009.

On January 7, 2009 Continental Airlines successfully completed a test flight from Houston, Texas using a 50/50 mixture of algae/jatropha-oil-derived biofuel and Jet A in one of the two CFM56 engines of a Boeing 737-800 Next Generation jet. The two-hour test flight could mark another promising step for the airline industry to find cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuel.

An August 2010 article warned about the actual utility and potential dangers of reliance on jatropha in Kenya. Major concerns included its invasiveness, which could disrupt local biodiversity, as well as damage to water catchment areas.

On April 1, 2011 Interjet completed the first Mexican aviation biofuels test flight on an Airbus A320. The fuel was a 70:30 conventional jet fuel/biojet blend produced from jatropha oil provided by three Mexican producers, Global Energías Renovables (a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S.-based Global Clean Energy Holdings), Bencafser S.A. and Energy JH S.A. Honeywell's UOP processed the oil into Bio-SPK (Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene) . Global Energías Renovables operates the largest Jatropha farm in the Americas.

On October 28, 2011 Air China completed the first successful demonstration flight by a Chinese airline that used jatropha-based biofuel. The mixture was a 50:50 mix of conventional jet fuel blended with jatropha oil from China National Petroleum Corp. The 747-400 powered one of its four engines on the fuel mixture during the 1-hour flight around Beijing airport.

Toxicity

Much like other members of the family Euphorbiaceae, Jatropha plants contain several toxic compounds, including lectin, saponin, carcinogenic phorbol, and a trypsin inhibitor. The seeds of this genus are also a source of the highly poisonous toxalbumin curcin. Despite this, the seeds are occasionally eaten after roasting, which reduces some of the toxicity. Its sap is a skin irritant, and ingesting as few as three untreated seeds can be fatal to humans. In 2005 Western Australia banned Jatropha gossypiifolia as invasive and highly toxic to people and animals.

Insect pests of jatropha

Selected species

Jatropha gossypiifolia in Hyderabad, India.

Jatropha multifida

Jatropha podagrica in Hyderabad, India.

• Jatropha acanthophylla Loefgr.
• Jatropha bullockii E.J.Lott
• Jatropha cathartica Terán & Berland.
• Jatropha chamelensis Pérez-Jiménez
• Jatropha costaricensis G.L.Webster & Poveda
• Jatropha cinerea (Ortega) Müll.Arg. – Arizona Nettlespurge
• Jatropha cuneata Wiggins & Rollins – Limberbush, Haat (pronounced [ʔaːt])
• Jatropha curcas L. – Physic Nut, Piñoncillo, Habb-El-Melúk
• Jatropha dioica Sessé – Leatherstem
• Jatropha elliptica (Pohl) Oken
• Jatropha excisa Griseb.
• Jatropha gossypiifolia L. – Bellyache Bush
• Jatropha hernandiifolia Vent. – Wild Oilnut
• Jatropha integerrima Jacq. – Spicy Jatropha
• Jatropha macrorhiza Benth. – Ragged Nettlespurge
• Jatropha multifida L. – Coralbush
• Jatropha nudicaulis Benth.
• Jatropha podagrica Hook. – Buddha Belly Plant, Bottleplant Shrub
• Jatropha unicostata Balf.f.

Formerly placed here

• Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd. (as J. moluccana L.)
• Baliospermum montanum (Willd.) Müll.Arg. (as J. montana Willd.)
• Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M.Johnst. (as J. aconitifolia Mill.)
• Cnidoscolus angustidens Torr. (as J. angustidens (Torr.) Müll.Arg.)
• Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl (as J. phyllacantha Müll.Arg.)
• Cnidoscolus stimulosus (Michx.) Engelm. & A.Gray (as J. stimulosa Michx.)
• Cnidoscolus texanus (Müll. Arg.) Small (as J. texana Müll.Arg.)
• Cnidoscolus tubulosus (Müll. Arg.) I.M.Johnst. (as J. tepiquensis Costantin & Gallaud and J. tubulosa Müll.Arg.)
• Cnidoscolus urens (L.) Arthur (as J. urens L.)
• Hyaenanche globosa (Gaertn.) Lamb. (as J. globosa Gaertn.)
• Manihot esculenta subsp. esculenta'' (as J. dulcis J.F.Gmel. and J. manihot L.)
• Manihot carthagenensis subsp. carthagenensis (as J. carthagenensis Jacq.)
• Manihot tripartita subsp. tripartita (as J. tripartita Spreng.)

Synonyms

• Adenorhopium Rchb.
• Adenoropium Pohl
• Castiglionia Ruiz & Pav.
• Collenucia Chiov.
• Curcas Adans.
• Jatropa Scop., orth. var.
• Loureira Cav.
• Mesandrinia Raf.
• Mozinna Ortega
• Zimapania Engl. & Pax

External links

Media related to Jatropha at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Jatropha at Wikispecies