1 Let's get Introduced With Jatropha
Marie Barrera edited this page 3 months ago


The Nature has actually provided us countless bounties ... some we understand of and some that are still concealed in the deep secrets waiting to be revealed and waiting to improve our lives. One of these bounties is Jatropha, the physic nut. It is one of the most popular herbs and the term jatropha curcas is really a "genus" covering some 175 plants together. The name comes from Greek words for Iatros indicating doctor and trophe meaning nutrition. So physic nuts or Jatropha, from the kingdom plantae is being studied extensively for it can be put to many uses in our daily lives.

To begin with, Jatropha is finding terrific approval all over the world as a bio-doesel. The jatropha curcas seeds can be crushed to obtain the oil and this can be used as a bio-fuel. The residues can be used as fertilizer or as a feed for electrical power generating plants. And this enables for a sustainable development. Not simply the seeds, however the plant as a whole is well matched to fulfill the growing environmental issues. And why just the bio-diesel, it can be utilized as aviation fuel, and a host of other usages from other parts of the plants. The stems of this plant discover usages in basket making, decorative purposes, and tanning leather and obtaining dyes. The plant even finds usage in medications for cough, balm lotions, tooth pastes, cosmetics and is even used to produce good quality paper. The plant is, therefore, being put to almost every credible usage possible.

Though it puts the worry of having a sustainable source of energy at hands to a back burner, yet it requires to be nurtured and taken care of to permit for a healthy plant growth. And it has been observed that the jatropha curcas plants tax our water resources. So, they are grown in locations with lots of rains. This cuts the burden on the water resources, enables water preservation and human effort too. Because the watering investment is only one time cost of time, money, effort and resources, it is being accepted as a sustainable alternative worldwide.

But it is not all goodie - goodie about the plant. The Jatropha plant has toxic content. It has lectin, saponin, phorbol, toxalbumin curcin and is a trypsin inhibitor. In easy words, it can be harmful and in severe conditions, even deadly to consume unattended plant. The seeds need to be correctly roasted and treated before being used in any consumable use. Since it has become practical to treat the toxic content, the plant usage has likewise been rising. To satisfy the increasing needs, the plant has to be grown through different scientific approaches like in-vitro and ex-vitro propagation. This enables rapid growth and for establishing disease and pest resistant varieties of the plant. And a healthy crop will indicate more fuel and much better environment on the whole.

It remains in our hands to live in harmony with the nature, and it is our options that identify the result of the interaction we have with the nature. If we choose environment friendly products, we improve our lives. So, selecting jatropha curcas can be the very first step in enhancing the wealth called environment.