Jatropha-the fuel plant

Its time to plant Jatropha everywhere and third world countries should take the first step.

They preached doom for the energy sector sometime. There were claims of depletion of the oil reserves and this was supposed to get us panicking. Well i don’t know what they have to say now, given that we can now plant fuel even in the desert.Jatropha is a wonder plant and i wonder why we are not giving it the deserving attention, especially we the non oil rich states. This plant can help us do away with OPEC. The thing is we should get hold of the plant before it is monopolized like oil now.
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[1] 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 27-40% oil [2] (average: 34.4%

Goldman Sachs recently cited Jatropha curcas as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production.However, despite its abundance and use as an oil and reclamation plant, none of the Jatropha species have been properly domesticated and, as a result, its productivity is variable, and the long-term impact of its large-scale use on soil quality and the environment is unknown.
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, and the North/Northeast Brazil. Likewise, jatropha oil is being promoted as an easily grown biofuel crop in hundreds of projects throughout India and other developing countries. 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. see what india is doing at http://www.jatrophabiodiesel.org