Book Description:
Among the oil-bearing tree species, Jatropha curcas is currently becoming an interesting crop for the production of biodiesel due to some of its interesting properties including resistance to drought, possibility to grow well and quickly on marginal lands without much fertiliser inputs and the need for only moderate rainfall. In this book, a series of biotechnological methodologies is reported, such as vitro propagation and plant breeding of jatropha curcas for the sustainable production of biodiesel. An overview of the currently available information on the different research on the production of biodiesel using jatropha al raw material is also given in terms of catalysts and possible non-edible feedstocks to be utilised in the process. In addition, the different options to include Jatropha in agroforestry systems are described. Their potential social, economic and environmental risks and benefits are discussed. In particular, land use changes related to Jatropha cultivation, their possible impact on food supplies and the up-scaling possibilities are focused upon. Based on this assessment, the authors provide clear guidelines for the expansion of Jatropha cultivation on a sound socio-economic and environmental basis. Moreover, Yunnan is the richest wild Jatropha resources province now and is to become the greatest Jatropha planting forest province in the following ten years. This book describes the flowering, fruit setting, pollination, seeds biological characteristics of Jastropha under various conditions in Yunnan. Other chapters review the studies available to date about the impact of the introduction of the biofuel crops Jatropha curcas on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from land use change in tropical regions. This book also attempts to go beyond the pro-contra debate on bio-fuels to search for possible sustainable trajectories.

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Table of Contents:
Preface

Chapter 1. Jatropha curcas (L): A Promising Biofuel Plant, Current Status and Future Prospects, pp. 1-39
(Diego Luna, Rafael Luque, Cristobal Verdugo, Jose M. Hidalgo, Maritza Escalona, Fernando Sagarra, Marcos Daquinta, Departamento de Quimica Organica, Universidad de Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain, and others)

Chapter 2. Energy for the Poor: Harnessing Jatropha for Local Sustainable Development in Yoro, Honduras, pp. 41-63
(Daniel Puente-Rodrìguez, Athena Institute, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije University Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

Chapter 3. Propagation Characteristics of Jatropha curcas under Different Climate Conditions in Yunnan, China, pp. 65-83
(Li Kun, Luo Chang-wei, LiuFang-yan, Sun Yong-yu, Tang Guo-yong, Wang Xiao-qing, Research Institute of Insect Resources, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming,Yunnan People’s Republic of China, and others)

Chapter 4. Jatropha Integrated Agroforestry Systems – Biodiesel Pathways towards Sustainable Rural Development, pp. 85-102
(Wouter M.J. Achten, Festus K. Akinnifesi, Wouter H. Maes, Antonio Trabucco, Raf Aerts, Erik Mathijs, Bert Reubens, Virendra P. Singh, Louis Verchot, Bart Muys, Division Forest Nature and Landscape, K.U.Leuven, Celestijnenlaan, Leuven, Belgium, and others)

Chapter 5. Impact of Land Use Change on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Jatropha Biofuels: Review of Recent Studies, pp. 103-115
(Marjolein C.J. Caniëls, Henny A. Romijn, Open University of the Netherlands (OUNL), Heerlen, The Netherlands, and others)

Chapter 6. Biotechnological Improvement of a Biofuel Crop: Jatropha curcas Linn, pp. 117-148
(Priyanka Mukherjee, Timir Baran Jha, Dept. of Botany, Presidency College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India)*

Chapter 7. Study on the Utilization of Jatropha Curcas L. for Power Generation Purposes at the Isabela Island (Galapagos – Ecuador), pp. 149-178
(Christoph Wieland, Dieter Sonnenholzner, Andreas Schuster, Technische Universitat Munchen, Institute of Energy Systems, Munchen, Germany, and others)*

Index