(OilPrice) Large-scale cultivation of Jatropha – known as a potential source of biofuel – can improve the soil quality of degraded lands and address climate change, says a new study.
Jatropha curcas seeds yield oil that can be processed into biodiesel, but scientists at the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, have found that Jatropha plantations can also sequester carbon in abundant quantities.
The findings, reported in October in Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, may reignite the ‘fuel-versus-food’ debate where critics argue that Jatropha cultivation diverts lands that could be used to grow food crops and affect food security.
