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| Jatropha Seed |
Jatropha is a basic tropical tree cultivated primarily in Africa, Asia and Latin America. As far as its habitat is concerned this highly drought-resistant species is adapted to arid and semi-arid conditions. It is a small tree or shrub with smooth gray bark, which exudes a whitish colored, watery, latex when cut. Normally, it grows between three and five meters in height, but can attain a height of up to eight or ten meters under favourable conditions.
Jatropha plant handles dryness very well and it is possible to live almost entirely of humidity in the air. Differences in yield depends on available rainfall or water. The Jatropha plant lives and produces seeds for 50 years with minimal input.
The trees are deciduous, shedding the leaves in the dry season. Flowering occurs during the wet season and two flowering peaks are often seen. In permanently humid regions, flowering occurs throughout the year. The seeds mature about 30 days after flowering. Early growth is fast and with good rainfall conditions nursery plants may bear fruits after the first rainy season, direct sown plants after the second rainy season.
Research has determined that the yield is optimized with some nutrients. Furthermore, it has been determined that the use of good organic fertilizer, particularly Jatropha’s own organic fertilizer, is preferable for optimum yield.
Harvesting will begin 6 months after sowing or planting and it continues year round as branches sprout, flower and bear fruits. The new plant yields fruits at optimal level at the end of the 12th month.
Standard plant management practices required are timely weeding (4 times a year), proper fertilization, surface ploughing and pruning. With these management practices a yield around 15-20 kg of fruit per tree can be obtained even if the plants did not reach full maturity.
Kimminic Corporation expects to successfully plant and harvest 100,000 metric tons of Jatropha physic nut at the end of 2008 and growing its capacity to 650,000 metric tons of Jatropha physic nut by 2012. |
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