Diesel engines represent the most widely used machines in agriculture. The prices of diesel oil as fuel continue to increase because the sources of crude oil are diminishing. In addition, the exhaust gases from the combustion of fossil fuels in the engines pollute the environment. African pear seed (Dacryodes edulis) oil was tested to find out if it possesses physical and chemical properties enabling it to be used as fuel for diesel engines. Oil was extracted from the dried and crushed African pear seed by soxhlet extraction. The oil yield was 27%, and the oil had a light yellow color. The extracted oil and diesel oil were comparatively analyzed for fuel properties: relative density, refractive index, viscosity, water content, calorific value, ash content, and bunting characteristics. Similarly, the seed sample was analyzed proximately for moisture, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate, crude fiber, and energy content. Results showed that the African pear seed oil had fuel properties similar to those of diesel oil. This confirmed that African pear seed oil could be utilized as a substitute for diesel oil. Again, the proximate results showed that it had nutritional values and could be used for inclusion in animal feed formulation. It is suggested that the pear seed oil should be processed to serve as a substitute for diesel oil and that the defatted seed should be used for animal feed manufacture.
