Potential of Tree Borne Oilseeds (TBOs) for Rural Energy Needs : Experiences and Implications

The Planning Commission, Government of India has set a target of 20 per cent blending of diesel with bio-diesel by the year 2012 to reduce the wide gap between demand and supply of petroleum products. This requires cultivating bio-diesel yielding crops on 11 M.ha to yield 13 M.t. of bio-diesel per year. In response to this, the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) launched a massive bio-fuel plantation programme in 2004-05. Since there was not enough research data to back a massive field plantation, GoAP sanctioned a R&D project on bio-fuels to CRIDA. The on-farm experiments were initiated in farmers' fields during kharif, 2005 in 69 acres in three districts of Andhra Pradesh with three levels each of irrigation, nutrition, pruning and four levels of spacings. The wider spacing (3x2m or 4x2m) enabled inter-cropping, partial mechanisation, response to irrigation in Jatropha. Irrigation at 30 per cent of evapo transpiration level in combination with N and P at 45g and 100g per plant gave better results. The capsule bearing bunches were more, when the plants were pruned at 45 cm or 60 cm height. In order to provide immediate income to the farmer besides improving soil fertility, legume inter-cropping with pigeonpea, blackgram and horsegram was successfully taken up. Farmers were disappointed with the low levels of yields (0.5 - 0.8 t/ha) even after five years because of non-availability of promising variety/selection and no immediate buyers for the harvested seed in the vicinity. There is a need for quality seed collection, value addition and increased wages. The scientific know-how will have to be disseminated through mass media, training of trainers and seed collectors; seminars, etc. on various aspects of production technology and processing.