Survey and Collection of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata in Assam and Meghalaya
Executive Summary:
Today, the need of the hour is to search for alternative source as fuel due to rapid depletion of fossil fuels. One of the viable such emerging alternative sources of energy is the Biodiesel, which can be replacement of the convenmtional transport fule petroleum diesel. Biodiesel produced from non-edible Tree Bearing Oilseeds (TBO), consists of mainly methyl or ethyl esters of trglycerid oil. It is also besed, renewable, nontoxic clean fuel with higher biodegradability than petroleum diesel and it can be big rural employment generator as well. In India with special reference to Assam and Meghalaya, biodiesel productions from jatropha and pongamia seeds emerge as one of the potential sourceof bio-fuel. Production of jatropha for biodiesel in rural raraes is associated with multifarious positive economic, energy, social and environmental impacts.
Some of the direct benefits associated with the use of Jatropha and Pongamia biodiesel as the alternative transport fuel are:
- Biodiesel is clean burning eco-friendly fuel.
- It is agro based renewable energy
- It is non toxic and biodegradable
- Easy to handle and store
- Free from sulphur and carcinogenic benzene
- No engine modification required
- Maintenance of ecological
- Employment generation and empowerment of farmers
In recent times much is talked about non-edible oil seeds of trees like jatropha, karach nahar etc. which can be used as petroleum oils. However, the activities associated with these prospective non-edible oils are not well documented like edible oils.
More over activities like scientific cultivation practices, harvesting, post harvest handling, marketing etc. are not well organized like that of edible oil products. Even through, there are many species of TBO seeds have been emerge as potential sources of biodiesel and jatropha curcas is found to be an ultimate potential species, while Pongamia pinnata comes in next.
Considering immense potenstial of jatropha and pongamai for biodiesel, the research and development centre for NEDFi has taken up the task of “Survey and collection of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata in Assam and Meghalaya” to the M/s Horizon Agricare Pvt. Ltd, Guwahati with the following objectives.
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To survey and collect data on status of Jatropha in Assam and Meghalaya
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To collect and documentation of entho-botanic uses of Jatropha population
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Evaluation of productivity and genetic potential of natural growing population
Several survey and collection trips were undertaken in different districts of Assam and Meghalaya. Homesteads, gardens, crop fields, rangelands as well as wastelands of these areas were explored.
The randomly selected plants were surveyed and paramertres of the selcted planst were also in-situ studied. The materials like stem cuttings, seeds, branches for herbarium and soil samples were collected from those areas. Altogether 166 entries (131 Jatropha curcas and 35 Pongamia pinnata) were surveyed, documented and collected from those areas.
The potential of jatropha and pongamia for biodiesel to the regional and national economy of our country is enormous., but largely unaccounted for. Jatropha has been found to be associated with rural life in Assam and Meghalaya since time immemorial and has traditionally been used as live fence or hedge and medicinal plant. Despite, multifarious uses of the plant and the emerging potential of jatropha as an important industrial cash crop for biodiesel and income generation, its utilization is not commercially exploited due to lack of information on cultivation practices. Scientific cultivation of this promising crop could improve livelihood of rural masses through income and employment generation.
It is hoped that this report ‘Survey and collection of jatropha and pongamia in Assam and Meghalaya’ will throw a light on great significance of industrial cash crops like jatropha and pongamia for renewable sources of biodiesel. Besides, the study report may help in further research development works for development of suitable high yielding and high oil content cultivars as well as standardization of location specific production technologies of these emerging biofuel crops.
