[Gasification] [Bioenergy] ENERGYSCAPING

[Richard Haard]

Sorry Tom

Jatropa is a subtropical plant at best.

It is a wonderful oil crop that grows on marginal land.

For a lawn 'oil crop' how about soybeans or rapeseed : ) Anyone know  
a perennial plant with an oil yield. Oh yes - there is Rabbitbrush a  
native to your area (it is an oil bearing desert perennial) and also  
the 'oil malee' shrub species from Ausieland . Not sure though how  
much land you would need for significant production.

My choice at our farm is willow coppice as the plant would have  
secondary value for us as live stakes and ultimately basket and  
furniture material.

Interesting brainstorm topic.
On Jul 31, 2007, at 6:08 AM, Thomas Reed wrote:
DEAR ALL:

WE ARE THINKING OF REPLACING OUR LAWN WITH "ENERGYSCAPING". WOULD  
JATROPHA GROW IN DENVER?

WHAT OTHER ENERGY CROPS SHOULD WE CONSIDER.  (PROBABLY NOT MISCANTHUS  
OR SWITCH GRASS, SINCE THEY WOULD BE TOO TALL TO FIND THE HOUSE.)

TOM REED            BEF



Lou Dobb wrote:
Hi Michael, very interesting info.
You say jatropha yields year round. And from year 4 onwards it starts  
yielding commercial quantities of seeds.

In the context of designing a short-rotation coppice strategy, 3 year  
cycles would probably be more favorable, because between year 1 and  
3, woody biomass growth is highest.

But say we were to look at a SRC-strategy based on 4 year cycles.  
Could you guesstimate how much *woody biomass* a tree or a hectare of  
jatropha yields after 4 years?

That would be crucial info for the start of a quick analysis of a SRC- 
strategy.

Second question: if we cut down the trees, the seedpods should not  
drop to the soil, so they should not be too ripe. Do you think seed  
oil content is acceptable for seedpod-stems that are still strong  
enough to remain attached to the tree during harvesting of the tree?

Thanks and I hope you are interested in exploring the issue further!
Best regards,
Lou







michael raj <michael_raj at hotmail.com> wrote:
Hello Lou,

Jatropha as a short rotation crop, Yes, its possible.

Provided you could go for Jatropha stem propagation in wet lands ONLY
(Irrigated - Marginal soil) Stem should be specific dimentions and  
length,
otherwise it will never work. Its not recommended in rainfed lands.

Besides you should know about the mother plant history.... say like the
mother plant is 4 years old or 10 years old...!

If you go for Jatropha stem propagation, it gives yield from 8th month
onwards. But we don't know how long (how many years) it may give  
yield...?
no details on this subject as far as my knowledge.
I have tried in my field with Jatropha stem.... and got the flowering  
in 6th
month...

Since Jatropha stem has only side roots and doesn't have the tap root,
during heavy wind in the location or any cyclone may be disaster!!  
Also It
cannot thrive in any drought conditions..!

Wherelse if you go for Jatropha seedlings from Seed, The life span of  
the
tree is 50 years...
It gives yield from end of 2nd year, less seed production still 3rd  
year.

The economic yield starts from 4th year and stabilize at 7th year. It  
may
give yield upto average 25 years to 30years continuously. Its one time
plantation....

The important thinks in Jatropha culitvation are planting method,  
pruning
technology, recommendations of biofertilizers, pollination, etc.,

As you mentioned in your mail, Jatropha is a labor oriented  
plantation, Its
very much suitable country like India, China, Africa, far east, etc.,

I am basically, promoting Jatropha in Tamilnadu - South India on  
contract
farming basis with buyback facility on 14 years period. We provide  
technical
support and periodical visit to the farmers land till end of the  
contract
period.

It will be appreciable if anyone can help me to suggest or guide me  
how to
use the Jatropha biomass to convert it as briquettes or fuel pellets for
energy recycle...! It will be great help to me..! and my farmers to  
get more
revnue..!

As well, I am looking for JV to promote Jatropha in our State,  
India... If
anyone is interested can join with me...

Basically, I want to use the Jatropha biomass after pruning takes  
place....
we collect lots of biomass from Jatropha.... may be in near future...!

We need to prune this Jatropha tree time to time,

Main concept of this plant is to increase the dense rather than growing
taller, more branches more fruits.

Mechanised harvest is not possible for Jatropha, since the plant  
gives yield
round the year... its not a seasonal crop... except the rainny season  
rest
of the time it gives yield. In India we harvest three time a year....  
Three
times means its not three times.... once the flowering starts in 70  
to 90
days you will get the matured seeds.... when it starts yield.... you  
can see
the entire processing stage in the tree... you can see the flowering,  
young
pods, yellow fruits and matured seeds in the same bunch... Thats the  
reason,
we cannot use the machanised harvest... It will disturb the entire  
bunch,
the farmer will loose the seed target quantity.

Please visit my website: www.annaijatropha.com

Jatropha is the best option for country like India...!

Best Wishes!

Michael Raj
Annai Bio-Crop Pvt Ltd
Chennai - India


 >From: Lou Dobb
 >To: bioenergy at listserv.repp.org
 >Subject: [Bioenergy] Jatropha as a short rotation crop?
 >Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 08:35:03 -0700 (PDT)
 >
 >Hi, I've been looking for info on jatropha as a short rotation  
crop. Can't
 >find much research.
 >
 >A quick look at some basic facts suddenly made me realize that  
Jatropha
 >might be interesting as a SRC crop. Consider the following:
 >
 >1. crop reaches 'maturity' after 3 to 5 years; vigorous growth in  
first
 >years, like most perennials, from year 3 onwards growth rate declines
 >
 >2. estimate is that as much as 30 to 40% of net primary production  
(NPP)
 >in Jatropha may be in the form of woody biomass
 >
 >3. harvesting seeds for biodiesel is extremely labor intensive, in any
 >case, without ultra-cheap labor, jatropha cannot be grown  
commercially;
 >jatropha can never become a crop that can help poor people get out of
 >poverty
 >
 >4. harvesting is not mechanised - the single biggest problem for  
jatropha;
 >without mechanisation, the social consequences of growing the crop are
 >troublesome
 >
 >5. if you were to look at Jatropha as a short rotation crop, you could
 >overcome several of the problems all at once:
 >
 >-you could harvest the entire trees mechanically, including a  
single yield
 >of oil bearing seeds
 >-you can then easily separate the seeds from the woody biomass
 >-turn woody biomass into fuel pellets
 >-replant Jatropha trees or if they regenerate from stumps then all the
 >better
 >-repeat cycle
 >
 >What do you think? Anyone interested in exploring this a bit further?
 >
 >Cheers, Lou
 >
 >
 >---------------------------------
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