*5.1.2.1.1 Jatropha*

Jatropha curcas is the bionomical name of Jatropha, belongs to spurge family. It is commonly known as Barbados, Purging or Physic nut. The height of Jatropha plant is about 6 m and is a flowering plant. The plant matures in 9–10 months and yield 2–3 times per year. On maturation, green rounded shaped seeds appeared on the plants and then turn into light blue or purple colored hard shells. The oil bearing mass located inside the shells known as meat or kernels. Oil content in the seeds varies from 20–60% by weight [74, 75]. J. curcas oil could be a valuable feedstock for the production of biodiesel in Pakistan (**Figure 15**).

Jatropha is a multipurpose drought resistant plant that is widely distributed in the wild or semi-cultivated areas in South East Asia, Pakistan, India and Central and South America. It is well adapted to arid and semi-arid conditions [76]. Jatropha is rich source of hydrocarbons. Therefore, it is considered as commercial source for biofuel production all over the world. Jatropha oil contains 42% oleic, 35% linoleic, 14% palmatic and 6% stearic acid by composition [77].

In Pakistan, certain institutions are promoting Jatropha cultivation at the nursery level in various locations across Baluchistan, Punjab, and Sindh. In nurseries, these cultivated plants ranged in age from a few weeks to 18 months [78]. However, after three years of private sector efforts in2008, oil bearing crop cultivation increased from 2 acres to over 400 acres. PSO (Pakistan State Oil) took a step in this direction in 2008, planting 20,000 saplings in farms. They've recently increased the number of samples taken for each transplantation, up to 20,000 or more. PSO's initiatives aimed to plant more than 6 million trees produce 24 million kg of oil bearing seeds, and produce 7.2 million L of biodiesel worth 345 million PKR at a unit price of PKR 48 L−1 [79].

Other interested parties, such as the Karachi Forest Department and the Pakistan Army, have also successfully planted Jatropha plants in Sindh [80]. So far, the Forest Department has been successful in cultivating 3000 samples on a trial basis in

**Figure 15.** *Jatropha curcas [68].*

Malir Cantonment in 2010 for the cultivation of Jatropha seeds supplied by PS [81]. Similarly, the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and KijaniEnergy, a Canadian company, are interested in establishing large-scale Jatropha cultivation for the production of biodiesel on marginal lands [79]. Kijani Energy invested approximately US\$ 150 million in2009, resulting in the use of 200,000 acres of land for Jatropha cultivation in Umerkot, Khairpur, Tharparker, Cholistan, and Sanghar.
