Abstract
Almost 40% of the world’s population of 6,7 billion people do not have access to affordable energy resources and drinking water of acceptable quality. But nothing is more important than the alleviation of hunger. The number of hungry people, according to the newest FAO statistics, has risen to close to one billion in 2008. Therefore, special attention needs to be given to research in food and agriculture. To this stock of global problems new challenges are added through the increase in human population of 80 million persons a year and the concomitant loss of large areas of former fertile agricultural land, mostly in the poorest countries. Jatropha curcas is the most primitive member of the large genus Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from the Greek iatros (doctor) and trophe (food). Jatropha curcas is a perennial plant, native and widely spread throughout the tropics. It is not grazed by animals, grows readily on degraded lands, is drought and to some extent disease resistant. It is a multipurpose plant. There are two genotypes of Jatropha curcas, a toxic and a non-toxic one. The latter genotype is found in Mexico only. Well developed dry seeds from Jatropha curcas weigh between 650- 750 mg and contain 30-35% of oil that is suitable for conversion into biodiesel of high quality by the conventional, proven processes. The kernel forms around 65% of the seeds. The de-oiled kernel meal has a crude protein content of between 58% and 60% and a favourable amino acid profile. Extracts of the toxic genotype provide chemicals with potential in medicinal, pharmaceutical and bio-pesticide application. In contrast to other fossil fuel alternatives, like biofuels from food crops such as maize, soybean, sugar cane and palm, bioenergy from Jatropha curcas grown on wasteland incurs no carbon debt and thus, offers immediate and sustained greenhouse gas advantages. Potential benefits of large scale Jatropha plantations on degraded land are expected to be : availability of CO2 neutral fuel in remote rural areas ; potential availability of high protein concentrates and biofertilizer locally ; wasteland reclamation for food production ; carbon sequestration for emission trading ; employment generation and socioeconomic development for impoverished farmers and rural labourers. Because of the wild nature of the plant, productivity reports vary considerably from less than 100 kg to more than 10.000 kg of seeds per ha. This huge variation is of importance from a breeder’s point of view for future selection and breeding programmes. Such programmes coupled with the development of agronomical practices, are essential prerequisites for economic exploitation to give Jatropha curcas a bright future.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Jatropha curcas is native and widespread in the tropics.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcas
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Jatropha curcase0 - Outcome
- native and widely spread throughout the tropicse0
- Setting
- tropicse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_tree_at_Samedha.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Jatropha curcas is a perennial plant, native and widely spread throughout the tropics.”
Claim · model-written summary
Jatropha curcas grows on degraded land and has drought and some disease resistance.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcast0
- Outcome
- grows readily on degraded lands, is drought and to some extent disease resistante0
- Qualifier
- to some extente0
- Setting
- degraded landse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“It is not grazed by animals, grows readily on degraded lands, is drought and to some extent disease resistant.”
t0“Jatropha curcas”
Claim · model-written summary
Jatropha curcas is not grazed by animals.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcast0
- Outcome
- not grazed by animalse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“It is not grazed by animals”
t0“Jatropha curcas”
Claim · model-written summary
Jatropha curcas has toxic and non-toxic genotypes.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcase0
- Outcome
- a toxic and a non-toxic onee0
- Value
- two genotypese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There are two genotypes of Jatropha curcas, a toxic and a non-toxic one.”
Claim · model-written summary
The non-toxic Jatropha curcas genotype is found only in Mexico.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcase0
- Material
- non-toxic onee0
- Outcome
- found in Mexico onlye0
- Setting
- Mexicoe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There are two genotypes of Jatropha curcas, a toxic and a non-toxic one. The latter genotype is found in Mexico only.”
Claim · model-written summary
Developed dry Jatropha curcas seeds weigh 650- 750 mg.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcase0
- Organ / stage
- dry seedse0
- Outcome
- weighe0
- Value
- 650- 750 mge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Well developed dry seeds from Jatropha curcas weigh between 650- 750 mg”
Claim · model-written summary
Developed dry Jatropha curcas seeds contain 30-35% oil.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcase0
- Organ / stage
- dry seedse0
- Outcome
- contain 30-35% of oile0
- Value
- 30-35%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Well developed dry seeds from Jatropha curcas weigh between 650- 750 mg and contain 30-35% of oil”
Claim · model-written summary
The Jatropha curcas kernel forms around 65% of the seed.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcast0
- Organ / stage
- kernele0
- Outcome
- forms around 65% of the seedse0
- Value
- 65%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The kernel forms around 65% of the seeds.”
t0“Jatropha curcas”
Claim · model-written summary
De-oiled Jatropha curcas kernel meal contains 58% to 60% crude protein.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcast0
- Organ / stage
- de-oiled kernel meale0
- Outcome
- crude protein contente0
- Value
- between 58% and 60%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The de-oiled kernel meal has a crude protein content of between 58% and 60%”
t0“Jatropha curcas”
Claim · model-written summary
De-oiled Jatropha curcas kernel meal has a favourable amino acid profile.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcast0
- Organ / stage
- kernel meale0
- Outcome
- favourable amino acid profilee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The de-oiled kernel meal has a crude protein content of between 58% and 60% and a favourable amino acid profile.”
t0“Jatropha curcas”
Claim · model-written summary
Reported Jatropha curcas seed productivity varies from below 100 kg to above 10.000 kg per hectare.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcast0
- Outcome
- productivitye0
- Direction
- vary considerablye0
- Value
- less than 100 kg to more than 10.000 kg of seeds per hae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“productivity reports vary considerably from less than 100 kg to more than 10.000 kg of seeds per ha.”
t0“Jatropha curcas”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend selection and breeding programs coupled with agronomic practices for economic Jatropha curcas production.
- Taxon
- Jatropha curcasJatropha curcase0
- Outcome
- programmes coupled with the development of agronomical practicese0
- Qualifier
- essential prerequisites for economic exploitatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Such programmes coupled with the development of agronomical practices, are essential prerequisites for economic exploitation to give Jatropha curcas a bright future.”