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Earlier this century, jatropha was hailed as a "wonder" biofuel. An unassuming shrubby tree belonging to Central America, it was hugely promoted as a high-yielding, drought-tolerant biofuel feedstock that could 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 caused plantation failures nearly all over. The aftermath of the jatropha crash was tainted by allegations of land grabbing, mismanagement, and overblown carbon decrease claims.
Today, some researchers continue pursuing the evasive promise of high-yielding jatropha. A return, they state, is dependent on cracking the yield problem and addressing the damaging land-use issues linked with its initial failure.
The sole remaining large jatropha plantation remains in Ghana. The plantation owner claims high-yield domesticated varieties have been accomplished and a brand-new boom is at hand. But even if this resurgence falters, the of jatropha holds crucial lessons for any appealing up-and-coming biofuel.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Jatropha curcas, an unassuming shrub-like tree native 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 and advancement, the sole remaining big plantation focused on growing jatropha is in Ghana. And Singapore-based jOil, which owns that plantation, claims the jatropha return is on.
"All those companies that stopped working, embraced a plug-and-play design of hunting for the wild varieties of jatropha. But to advertise it, you need to domesticate it. This is a part of the procedure that was missed out on [throughout the boom]," jOil CEO Vasanth Subramanian told Mongabay in an interview.
Having found out from the mistakes of jatropha's previous failures, he says the oily plant might yet play an essential role as a liquid biofuel feedstock, reducing transportation carbon emissions at the worldwide level. A new boom might bring extra advantages, with jatropha likewise a possible source of fertilizers and even bioplastics.
But some researchers are doubtful, noting that jatropha has actually already gone through one hype-and-fizzle cycle. They caution that if the plant is to reach full potential, then it is necessary to gain from past mistakes. During the very first boom, jatropha plantations were hindered not only by bad yields, but by land grabbing, logging, and social problems in countries where it was planted, consisting of Ghana, where jOil runs.
Experts likewise suggest that jatropha's tale uses lessons for researchers and entrepreneurs exploring appealing new sources for liquid biofuels - which exist aplenty.
Miracle shrub, significant bust
Jatropha's early 21st-century appeal originated from its promise as a "second-generation" biofuel, which are sourced from turfs, trees and other plants not originated from edible crops such as maize, soy or oil palm. Among its multiple purported virtues was a capability to grow on abject or "minimal" lands
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Jatropha: the Biofuel that Bombed Seeks a Path To Redemption
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