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Hindi Review Article
Genetic Improvement, Sustainable Production and Scalable Small Microenterprise of Jatropha as a Biodiesel Feedstock
| Madhavi Z Martin1, Lee E Gunter1, Sara S Jawdy1, Stan D Wullschleger2*, Candace S Wheeler3 and Ajay K Jha4 | |
| 1Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA | |
| 2Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA | |
| 3Global Energy System Center, General Motors Research and Development Center, Warren, MI 48090, USA | |
| 4Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523- 1172, USA | |
| Corresponding Author : | Stan D Wullschleger Environmental Sciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6301, USA Tel: +1-865-574-7839 E-mail: wullschlegsd@ornl.gov |
| Received: May 02, 2013; Accepted: June 18, 2013; Published: June 20, 2013 | |
| Citation: Martin MZ, Gunter LE, Jawdy SS, Wullschleger SD, Wheeler CS, et al. (2013) Genetic Improvement, Sustainable Production and Scalable Small Microenterprise of Jatropha as a Biodiesel Feedstock. J Bioremed Biodeg S4:002. doi:10.4172/2155-6199.S4-002 | |
| Copyright: © 2013 Martin MZ, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. | |
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Abstract
There is widespread interest in Jatropha curcas L. as a renewable source of biodiesel and a potential replacement for petroleum-based transportation fuels. As an oil-bearing feedstock it displays rapid growth and high seed yield across soils of varying fertility. Unfortunately, despite current optimism there exists little information on the agronomic management of this genus as a feedstock for biodiesel. Therefore, this article reviews research on Jatropha as a biofuels feedstock and explores the fast adaptation of Jatropha across India through a “lab-to-market” approach. An integrated approach to understanding the long-term viability of using Jatropha as a bioenergy crop is assessed. A variety of issues are discussed to understand and survey research that has been done on Jatropha and its applications in developing countries where it is being implemented. These issues include understanding the fundamentals of the biology, ecology, propagation, and cultivation of Jatropha, especially focusing on the thrust in developing countries to use wastelands and reclaimed lands for growing Jatropha as a bioenergy crop. This article also provides a status report with regard to germplasm collections and genomic resources for future accelerated crop improvement. A viable argument is made in favor of developing pilot energy farm enterprise clusters, which seems to be the best option for small farms in developing parts of the world. This thematic approach is discussed in detail under a “sun-to-satellite” regional model in which farmers can be engaged as stakeholders and participate in the decision making process. The potential impact of fossil-fuel replacement by Jatropha on climate change is also discussed.
