Jatropha curcas: A Review

Since the ratification of the Kyoto protocol, a significant effort has been made world-wide to boost biofuels With the expectation of a positive contribution to renewable fuel and greenhouse gas reduction. The initial recommendations were generally not acted upon except in some particular cases, such as Brazil and Vietnam, The positive contribution of first generation biofuels has been challenged because they rely on limited arable kind availability, they need Substantial energy inputs, and they compete with wildlife and food crops. However, bioethanol and biodiesel proved their compatibility with existing technologies and prepared the transition to second and third generation biofuels. Countries Such as Europe, with adverse climatic conditions and limited availability of arable land and crop options, are already investigating technologies for cellulosic ethanol and microdiesel. Developing countries, on the other hand, often have extended areas of land that are not usable for agriculture with currently available crops. Jatropha curcas L. proved to be an opportunistic crop in tropical areas in these unfavorable environments. For this reason, a review on the features and technological achievements obtained with this new crop is welcome. This review covers the (i) agronomy, (ii) oil production, (iii) alkyl ester production, (iv) biofuel features, (v) toxicity, (vi) plant breeding, and (vii) crop expansion of J. curcas.