Jatropha Curcas L in New Zealand & The Pacific Islands                                              

This site is dedicated towards the promotion of Jatropha Curcas in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The Jatropha Plant is grown to produce Jatropha seed which is used to make Jatropha Biodiesel. Jatropha seeds produce between 35% and 37% of their mass in oil and this is why the Jatropha tree is commonly referred to as the Biodiesel Jatropha Plant.

 The Jatropha tree is cultivated to about 3 meters high and produces seed that contain an inedible vegetable oil that's used to produce biodiesel and other oil related products.

We are all aware of directives that require a minimum level of biofuel as a proportion of fuels sold. There are however insufficient raw materials (feedstock) in New Zealand and the Pacific - at this stage - for making biodiesel and other biofuel to run these economies in accordance with these directives.

It is therefore up to you, the Farmer,  to take full advantage of this lucrative opportunity because whether you like it or not Biodiesel is going to happen. Infinite Wisdom has is that  'Necessity is the Mother of Invention'                             - Plato (427 BC - 347BC).

The introduction of Jatropha thus brings about  a great source and opportunity for farmers and Land Owners to supply the economy and in thus doing so earn an income off the land that's related to the ever increasing fuel market.

You may plant 2500 trees per hectare at 2m apart for commercial purposes. With good planning, quality planting material, standard farming practices and good crop management Jatropha should yield approximately 10 tons of seed per hectare from the fifth year onwards. (That is 10,000kgs of seed per hectare) At an extraction rate of 37% you will get 3.7 tons of oil. (That’s is 3,700kgs of oil per hectare) The specific density of Jatropha Oil is .916kgs per liter.  Therefore .916 x 3700 = 3,389 liters per hectare.

This is not to say that you should cease  operation of your current farming endeavors. Jatropha may also be planted at  2.5 and 3m apart. In cooler climates  it actually does better at larger distances apart. Well spaced trees will receive more sunlight and therefore do much better. The advantage is that you will be able to retain sheep or cattle to keep the grass down or plant other food crops in between.

There's also Intercropping. Jatropha is a natural nitrogen fixer when planted along with other crops in symbiosis.  Jatropha has in fact increased food production in third world countries where non cultivated land has been developed. This dismisses the widely held view that Jatropha has or will displace food crops.