Jatropha for biodiesel comes to Florida
Jatropha, a plant whose seed is used to produce biodiesel, is joining the long list of non-native plants growing in Florida. My Dream Fuel LLC claims to have a million seedlings in the ground at a Hendry county nursery already with another million to come before June. According to owner, Paul Dalton, his is the first company to do large jatropha planting anywhere in the country. With missionary-like zeal he asserts, "There are about 100 buyers for every gallon you produce" and that the plants are easy to grow, requiring little fertilization and only "occasional watering". (Other sources claim the plants need 60 inches of water yearly to be productive.)
My Dream Fuel LLC which will soon, "...open a $1.5 million, 15,000-square-foot center for seed crushing and plant cloning..." is trying to convince farmers whose citrus orchards have been affected by canker disease to give jatropha a shot, as well as cattle ranchers seeking diversification. An article about the venture in the Naples Daily News says that Dalton is not alone in his optimism about the future of the crop in Florida and states that "Roy Beckford, an agricultural and natural resource agent for the University of Florida/IFAS in Lee County, has pushed Jatropha as an alternative crop for South Florida growers for years."
The article, which ends on the high note of plans a few other farmers have for the crop, is followed by a lively comments section that becomes slightly more pessimistic and it grows in length. We hope our readers will share their thoughts as well.
[Source: Naples Daily News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
David Wright 8:57AM (4/15/2008)
Oh dear. How many more are going to climb aboard the Jatropha bandwagon before the wheels come of it?
This plant is banned in Australia and several other places for its ferociously invasive habit. It is toxic to handle and toxic to livestock.
The claim is that it can be grown on useless wasteland - where it doesn't compete with food crops. And indeed it can - but many are now planting it on prime land for the extra money they get from the better yield there.
Not in my back yard please - we have enough problems with the dreaded Japanese Knotweed.
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rgseidl 10:23AM (4/15/2008)
It's generally a bad idea to introduce new hardy non-native species for the sake of making a quick buck. Much the same might apply to Copaifera langsdorfii, though at least the diesel tree matures more slowly.
Citrus trees are susceptible to many pests, but replacing a food crop for an NFA on prime soil is also a bad idea. Ideally, Florida farmers would diversify by developing cross-holdings with businesses that produce native biofuel feedstock crops like switchgrass on poor soils. Besides, it's not as if food as gone out of fashion.
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Wave54 11:34AM (4/15/2008)
For more information:
http://free.naplesplus.us/articles/view.php/34423/Sober-notes-on-Jatropha-as-biofuel
I don't know that this is some magic bullet to solve all of our fuel problems. The plant seems to need a rainy season with 24" annual rainfall and growing it on marginal lands will yield marginal results. Jatropha yields 1/3 the oil/acre as oil palm, but still 10 times more than corn.
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Wildgoosechase 2:02PM (4/15/2008)
I’m looking at it as diversity in the crops grown.That's the beauty of bio-fuels, they can come from many sources. Farmers can plant the crop that fits their environment and they have a guaranteed market. Food crops suffer from wide swings in price and that is a major financial risk. By introducing some fuel crops in Florida the state diversifies its crops and does not risk disaster if a freeze ruins the citrus crops.
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Mike Z 5:27PM (4/15/2008)
Dang I already pay $8/gal for my favorite local Florida Orange Juice! I rather have amazing OJ than more biodiesel
On a side note, the Chinese Tallow Tree is already an invasive plant in FL, and has a higher yield than Jatropha.
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David Wright 7:19PM (4/15/2008)
Some birds apparently eat Jatropha seeds without it killing them. But they also spread them around - which is one of the reasons why assurances about controlling its spread are worthless. Farmers who don't want this weed on their land are not going to be pleased if neighbouring farms plant it.
Beekeepers are also complaining about it, but I've not grasped exactly why.
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Kevin Nugent 10:38PM (4/15/2008)
Why are we bringing non native plans to the us This is dumb because it has been proven countless times that these things produce multiply and get out of control affecting our local wildlife.
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PmPip 10:51AM (4/29/2008)
Is this a genetically altered seed? If so, it will kill the bees. Any hybird seed will kill bees as they pollinate it. It gives them a type of intestinal cancer, much like our colon cancer.
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