New biodiesel crop Jatropha taking off in S.W. Florida

[jpak]

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/05/new-biodiesel-crop-jatropha-taking-sw-florida/

The roots for a new energy crop in Southwest Florida have been planted.

In LaBelle, a company called My Dream Fuel LLC is cultivating Jatropha curcas, a tree-shrub that shows promise as a new biodiesel crop in the U.S. that could one day power engines and generators.

Nearly 1 million seedlings are in the ground at a nursery in Hendry County and promoters are looking for farmers – here and across the country – to raise them as oil-producing plants.

Researchers say the plant can produce four times more fuel per acre than soy, and 10 times more than corn.

<more>

[Zachstar]

1. This could be interesting.

As long as it is not normally used as a food crop.

I have had a small belief that near desert grasses and other plants that make do with little good soil could be great for growing a temporary replacement for oil.

The problem is they have chosen the green craze route and most of these biofuels take almost as much energy to get to the pump as they give out in the tank.

The trucking industry is getting hit hard with high prices of diesel so I hope some solutions can help them soon.

[izquierdista]

8. Jatropha is toxic

The oil cannot be used for human consumption, hence its use for biodiesel. In its native India, it is planted as a border shrub between fields. It is an excellent way to use marginal land not devoted to food production.

[Peregrine]

2. Just what Florida needs

another non-native plant introduced into an ecosystem that is being destroyed by plants that have been introduced either in landscapes or as crops.

[malakai2]

5. Of course

A plant that does well on marginal, barren land and produces toxic nuts and other tissues? Sounds like a perfect new exotic to loose on the landscape. I wonder how well it would compete with Brazilian pepper and melaleuca, or if it could grow under Australian pine.

[mahina]

3. Good luck, but the numbers touted here were nowhere near reality,

and there are concerns about toxicity. I'm glad it is less thirsty than its alternatives but it ethanol is still a horrible ruse.

We can generate electricity many ways. Clean drinking water is irreplaceable. Not to mention the impact on food prices around the world from diverting food and ag land to ethanol production when there is little evidence that it is more than a scam and a net energy sink.

My -.02.

[mahina]

4. ps, this Reuters article:Toxic jatropha not magic biofuel crop, experts warn

"GUANGZHOU, China, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Oilseed plant jatropha does not offer an easy answer to biofuels problems as some countries hope, because it can be toxic and yields are unreliable, experts and industry officials warned on Wednesday.

The woody plant can grow on barren, marginal land, and so is increasingly popular in countries such as China that are keen to boost biofuels output but nervous about food security.

But its nuts and leaves are toxic, requiring careful handling by farmers and at crushing plants, said experts at an oils and fats conference.

In addition, it is a labour-intensive crop as each fruit ripens at a different time and needs to be harvested separately. Its productivity is also low and has yet to be stabilised." http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKHKG7593720070912

[gear_head]

7. 'toxic' is a benefit, silences the ...

food vs. fuel arguement

[gear_head]

6. better than oil from the middle east ..n/t