[Gasification] Subject: Re: ENERGYSCAPING
Bakary Jatta
bjatta at gmail.com
Tue Jul 31 18:00:15 EDT 2007
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Thomas Reed" <tombreed at comcast.net>
> To: "Lou Dobb" <congoagriculture at yahoo.com>
> Cc: <bioenergy at listserv.repp.org>; <STOVES at LISTSERV.REPP.ORG>;
> "GASIFICATION" <GASIFICATION at listserv.repp.org>; "michael raj"
> <michael_raj at hotmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 3:08 PM
> Subject: [Gasification] ENERGYSCAPING
>
>
> 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
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear All,
>From all the replies I see we are dealing with different varieties of
Jatropha, different climatic conditions, and have therefore a variety of
methods proposed for the use of the plant. It will take me some time to
compare these contributions with my own experience and the information I
found other Internet sources including University research libraries. I have
been experimenting with propagation methods and found cuttings to be the
most reliable as planting by seeds suffered from being eradication by
ferocious caterpillars. Several cuttings rotted when planted in wet soil.
The most successful method was using cuttings up to 70 cm long x 2 -3 cm
thick planted a few weeks before the rainy season starts. Tip shoots were
doing better and flowered in a matter of less then two months after
planting. There were plants sucumbing to the 8 months dry season but I am
sure it makes a difference if the soil has better moisture holding capacity.
There was a request for participation in research sent to me. I am including
a copy of a part of the message as it may be appreciated by them or some of
you:
On behalf of the Global Jatropha curcas evaluation Programme (JEP) that we
coordinate at Wageningen University and Research centre - Plant Research
International - the Netherlands, I would like to draw your attention to the
posibility to participate in this programme and to compare your Jatropha
curcas collection with others all over the world.
As you may understand, our programme will only succeed if more Jatropha
curcas collections are integrated in the results. Therefore we are looking
for more contacts in more countries, for more environmental circumstances
(precipitation, soil fertility), different Jatropha curcas management types
and more Jatropha curcas collections to be included in our evaluation
programme.
If you are not fully convinced that the programme could be meaningful for
you, please read further!
Your leaf material will be genetically analyzed free of charge, thereby
identifying to which 'group' of Jatropha curcas accessions your material
belongs to. Then you can see what may be expected (in terms of crop
development, crop production and oil content) from your Jatropha curcas
accession, if you compare it to other Jatropha curcas accessions from the
same group, but grown under different circumstances. You may be able to
change your management to obtain better results, or seek contact with people
dealing with a specific Jatropha curcas accession.
So, if you have not already done so, please visit www.jatropha.wur.nl and
find out how you can participate with your collection.
.......
Personally I do not have the time to get further involved as I am busy
propagating the plants myself along with working on other options related to
land based rural energy options.
After demonstrating the viability of the whole process of planting,
harvesting and processing of sufficient quanties of seeds there are still a
large number of other issues to be dealt with, such as availability of land
and labor etc. People rather try to have some money to buy candles for
tonight then look for answers to tomorrows needs. All the other benefits
from Jatropha oil are far from the average rural persons mind. Commercial
interests can find easyer ways to make money. So welcome to tenacious people
who can come up with quick answers that satisfy a large number of people.
Let me know of your successes please!
Bakary Jatta
Bwiam village
The Gambia
W.Africa
i> 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
>> >
Snip.................
More information about the Gasification
mailing list