Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

[Lynn Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Lynn]

Hi to all
we are asked to invest 150 000 US dollars in the jatropha nut which will be planted in australia for bio diesel. would that be a good investment?

[Lynn Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Lynn]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

alternative planting of jatropha nut in australia? Please send us your reply.

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

Hi Lynn,

While I'm by no means an expert in this field, I've noticed that no one has answered your post here, so here's what I know:

Jatropha is an excellent oil crop with about 1.5 times the oil yeild of canola. Additionally, it is perfect for growing in arid climates, will grow in saline soils and already grows wild in many parts of Australia.

However, I have heard that it is also declared a noxious weed in Australia and therefore currently cannot be commercially grown and harvested.

I would like to see this classification overturned in favour of using jatropha in Australia for an oil crop, but I am not a farmer, or a political lobbyist and would not know where to start.

If you are serious about doing this, please respond and I will endeavour to find out some more information, or put you in touch with those who may be able to help. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

[liquidgold Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close liquidgold]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

Hi Lynn,
I've done some quality research on Jatropha and it sounds to me as through you are on the right track here you could create alot of oil for biodiesel by using Jatropha on desert quality land. So now you need to get Jatropha taken of the noxious weed list and start planting it in large proportions to help meet worldwide oil demand.

[Sauman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sauman]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

Jatropha isn't a noxious weed as claimed by some of the less enlightened souls of our political and reserach circles.
Infact in India about 150 million hectares have been earmaked for Jatropha and Karanja plantation by the year 2010 .
I am at a loss of words as to how we should ask our polies to wake up to fact.As Jatropha not only has the potential of being an alternate crop for our farmers but can become a sustainable income source during the drought and bad years.
Even more interesting is that on studies that we have done and what is being at the moment being implemented in India by NGO's, farmer coops is interlopping .If this can be adapted then the return on investment can be sa high as 52% assured...wow....we know...its happening...and in India.....an under developed country.....
If Jatropha plantation is done on its own as revenue earner the minmum returs considering all bad factors are 30%.
I would love to initiate this ......

Any more takers....???

[Sauman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sauman]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

Lynn,
Please dont go into investing $$$$ as yet.
Do tell me what you need and I will see I can be of help.
Many ways by means of which you can achieve cheap plantations.
Stuff that we are in India ...very cost effective modules....
I am not sure wether you are aware or not...these plantations can be tied up with Clean Defense Mechanism and Carbon credit trading as per Kyoto protocol.So will be getting $$$$ just for planting them...do get in touch if you need help.
Currently I am in India implementing about 20 plantations .....

[Gunner Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gunner]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

If Jatropha plantation is done on its own as revenue earner the minmum returs considering all bad factors are 30%.
I would love to initiate this ......

Well, with that sort of return, who wouldn't!
Could you please explain more on your costings, such as initial cost of Land, plant stock, ongoing maintenance, cost of harvesting and producing oil and what market currently exists for the product and what prices are ACTUALLY being received in your calculations of a 30% return.

However, I have heard that it is also declared a noxious weed in Australia and therefore currently cannot be commercially grown and harvested.

In some parts of Australia, Jatropha IS a declared Noxious Weed. See Queensland and Northern Territory.

[Sauman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sauman]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

G Day Folks,
Thank you Lynn,dave for your thoughts.
Lynn I would love to share all the details that you asked me.It is very detailed (work of about 300 reserachers and scientisits around the world).I am personally involved in this for the last 10 years.Last 2 years full on and with about 150,00 people.Aiming at changing the quality of life for a few million in India alone.
To everyone in here I have gone through the legislation and information available in the public domain for Australian.In both the states its classed a weed that needs to be controlled by the land owner.In the state of qld its known as Belly ache bush...and if the fruits are eaten then one gets belly aches(wander why would someone eat them...You never never know till you never never go I suppose syndrome...anyways).
Just to give a short gist about the magic plant:

• Bears seed after the 3rd year
• Requires very very little attention to grow
• feedstock with eat it(they get belly aches...remember)
• Seeds have 35% oil content.....17 varieties of content 35%~40%
• 25% is extractable with getting to sophisticated (simple expelling)
• requires minimum attention for growth
• seed yield is about 4MT/Ha
• oil is also excellent feedstock for soap making
• plant fruits till 25 years
• 2X2m per plant
• plantation can be interlopped (other plants ...cash crops can be grown with it)then return on investment can be as high as 52%
• the pressed cake is an excellent fertiliser
• hybrid varieties under research....can have oil upto50%

The history of Jatropha goes a while back.Used in the South east asia as fense material by many indeginous communities.The oil used to be used for burning,soap making....fertiliser...all that we talked about.And that to like 3000years back....remember the planet was green before the so called Industrial revolution .Anyways that a different area alltogether .

I always had a dream.Miles and miles of arid wastelands in our beautiful sun burnt great southern land.We could be the feedstock for the world for energy...that to green...cool isnt...and yes its possible.....I have a few modules that I would love to share that could at least add momentum in the whole process.

Lyn> can you mail me contact details and stuff.
I am in India at the moment.Feel free to give me a call

India mob:+91-9339227130

[Sauman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sauman]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

Hi Folks
Check out the plant out that we commissioned in Northern India.
Her capacity is 2~3KL per day.Can handle any kinda feedstock....from lard,tallow,wvo,svo.....we have used Jatropha oil in this plant.
Hope the pic load....
No reason our farms cant have one unit in every farm.....

cheers

sauman

[Sauman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sauman]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

Hi
Must show you folks the color of the end product...hope the file loads
cheers
sauman

[Sauman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sauman]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

Hi everyone
the plant pic did not come....here goes me again
cheers
sauman

[Jake Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jake]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

However, I have heard that it is also declared a noxious weed in Australia and therefore currently cannot be commercially grown and harvested.

Apparently so only in WA and the NT if we are talking about Jatropha curcas. (see: http://www.weeds.org.au/docs/weednet6.pdf ) Even with the south possibly being too cold, that would still leave a few areas where it could be grown succesfully and legally.

[glenos Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close glenos]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

Sounds like a good idea on the surface, but India is a different situation to Australia.

You need to consider:
In Australia we would need to get an economy of scale by having a broadacre planting that can be harvested mechanically. How to harvest mechnically could take years to develop successfully.

In India, smaller farms can be harvested by using their resource of relatively cheap labour, a man can be hired from a street corner for $1/day.

35% oil is not especially high, rape seeds run at about that, the advantage appears to be that this plat can tolerate arid conditions, what affect does that have on oil production? when things are bad is there any oil to harvest?

[Dave Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dave]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

[LIST][*]Bears seed after the 3rd year[*]Requires very very little attention to grow[*]seed yield is about 4MT/Ha[*]plant fruits till 25 years[*]plantation can be interlopped (other plants ...cash crops can be grown with it)then return on investment can be as high as 52%

Hi Sauman!

A few questions regarding the above.

1. The seed bears fruit after 3rd year, and continues to fruit for 25 years. So, once the fruit is picked, how long until the new fruit is grown on the same plant?

2. Yield is 4MT/ha. Sory Im not familiar with the "MT", what is this. Is this a comparatively good yield compared to say canola?

3. Youve mentioned it can be interlopped.... If it is considered a noxious weed in Oz, what sort of plants can it/cannot be interlopped with?

Thanks Sauman!

[glenos Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close glenos]

Re: Alternative planting of Jatropha Nut?

MT is a metric tonne.

If it is a noxious weed then it can not be cultivated. If it is a weed, then it can be cultivated, but you may need approval. I strongly discourage anyone from thinking of smuggling some into Aust or trying to establish a plantation of a weed, think prickly pear, cane toad and rabbit.

Just looking at the potential returns only tells a small part of the stroy. Rosa rubignosa (Sweet briar) is a good example, it is the bush that gives us rosehip, useful for all sorts of things. In Tas it is classed as a weed and can be cultivated. Trouble is it has to be hand picked and this is a nightmare job, this plant has prickles on its prickles.

As a commercial crop there is potential for good returns , organic cert. Rose hip oil is worth over $200/L, but the cost of harvesting is about $200/L so it is not viable.