Wondering if Jatropha Biodiesel
is the Way to Go?

The idea of using jatropha biodiesel has been met with lots of excitement. I found LOTS of benefits and only one downfall.


Here are Some Facts About the Jatropha Plant:

• Jatropha is a perennial plant.

• It produces seeds within two years of being planted.

• Seeds take 2-4 months to mature.

• It produces seeds for an average of 50 years!

• The leftover biomass can be used as an organic fertilizer.

• With sufficient water, and high enough temperatures, it can produce several crops throughout the year.

• The seeds are poisonous and therefore do not compete with the food market.

• On average it produces 202 gallons of oil per acre. That is more than four times that of soybean plants!!


Photo by: R.K. Henning (Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic ) Origin: Jatropha.org

Here are Some of the Growing Conditions for Jatropha:

• It is able to grow well in moderate and poor soils.

• It is drought tolerant. It can survive 7-8 months by dropping its leaves.

• The plant grows best in soils that drain easily.

• It grows best in soil with a PH between 6 and 9.

• Jatropha needs to be planted between the altitudes of 0 and 1,640 feet (0-500 meters).

• It needs to receive at least 23 inches (600 mm) of rainfall.

• It prefers temperatures between 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 F (20-28 C).


And the One Potential Problem I Found, is That…

• Its yields are variable because it has not been properly domesticated yet.


Jatropha will likely be one of the leading sources of biofuel oil because it can be grown in areas that other crops would not survive.

Need a little more information before using Jatropha biodiesel? Here is a study of the chemical composition of the seeds.

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