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Earlier this century, jatropha was hailed as a "wonder" biofuel. A simple shrubby tree native to Central America, it was hugely promoted as a high-yielding, drought-tolerant biofuel feedstock that might grow on degraded lands across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
A jatropha rush took place, with more than 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) planted by 2008. But the bubble burst. Low yields resulted in plantation failures nearly all over. The after-effects of the jatropha crash was polluted by accusations of land grabbing, mismanagement, and overblown carbon reduction claims.
Today, some researchers continue pursuing the incredibly elusive promise of high-yielding jatropha. A return, they say, is dependent on cracking the yield problem and dealing with the damaging land-use problems linked with its original failure.
The sole staying big jatropha plantation remains in Ghana. The plantation owner claims high-yield domesticated varieties have actually been accomplished and a new boom is at hand. But even if this return falters, the world's experience of jatropha holds crucial lessons for any appealing up-and-coming biofuel.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Jatropha curcas, a simple shrub-like tree belonging to Central America, was planted across the world. The rush to jatropha was driven by its pledge as a sustainable source of biofuel that could be grown on deteriorated, unfertile lands so as not to displace food crops. But inflated claims of high yields fell flat.
Now, after years of research study and development, the sole staying large plantation concentrated on growing jatropha remains in Ghana. And Singapore-based jOil, which owns that plantation, claims the jatropha resurgence is on.
"All those business that failed, adopted a plug-and-play design of hunting for the wild varieties of jatropha. But to advertise it, you need to domesticate it. This belongs of the process that was missed [throughout the boom]," jOil CEO Vasanth Subramanian informed Mongabay in an .
Having gained from the mistakes of jatropha's past failures, he says the oily plant might yet play a key function as a liquid biofuel feedstock, minimizing transportation carbon emissions at the global level. A new boom could bring fringe benefits, with jatropha likewise a prospective source of fertilizers and even bioplastics.
But some scientists are skeptical, noting that jatropha has actually already gone through one hype-and-fizzle cycle. They warn that if the plant is to reach complete potential, then it is vital to find out from past mistakes. During the first boom, jatropha plantations were obstructed not only by bad yields, however by land grabbing, deforestation, and social issues in countries where it was planted, consisting of Ghana, where jOil runs.
Experts likewise recommend that jatropha's tale uses lessons for scientists and business owners exploring appealing new sources for liquid biofuels - which exist aplenty.
Miracle shrub, major bust
Jatropha's early 21st-century appeal originated from its pledge as a "second-generation" biofuel, which are sourced from lawns, trees and other plants not obtained from edible crops such as maize, soy or oil palm. Among its several purported virtues was an ability to prosper on abject or "marginal" lands
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Jatropha: the Biofuel that Bombed Seeks a Course To Redemption
Robby Nez edited this page 2 weeks ago