BioFuel Trees Wizetize Is Invested in, In Costa Rica

How is BioFuel Produced from Trees?

BioFuel trees produce seeds that are rich in oil. Crushing these seeds in a simple mechanical press releases the oil, which can be filtered to a tight specification and stored. This oil is referred to as Pure Plant Oil (PPO) or Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) and is the base material for Diesel substitution.

As a BioFuel, tree-based PPO has significant advantages over crop-based PPO like Soya or Rapeseed:  BioFuel trees grow on land that is unfit for food production or where Rain Forests can not and should not be removed.  The oil from BioFuel trees is inedible. This means that the use of tree-based PPO for BioFuel does not compete with food production or edible oil supply.

Pure Plant Oils tend to be more viscous than Diesel, but can be used directly in modern Diesel engines with technology like that supplied by UK-based Regenatec, which designs and sells some of the world’s most advanced Diesel engine conversion technology. 

The other option is to chemically process PPO in a refinery into what is commonly called “BioDiesel” and blend it with Diesel for regular use in vehicles.

Left over after crushing, the seedcake can be mixed with fruit husks and briquetted to displace Coal and other BioMass in cooking stoves or boilers. This BioCoal has low moisture content and can store and burn more easily and cleanly than firewood or cattle dung.

Alternatively,  the seedcake can be fed to a anaerobic digester to produce methane-rich BioGas and BioFertilizer, a cheap and locally-sourced fertilizer that can boost the yield of  food and cash crops grown on marginal soils.

Which Trees are Planted and Why?

The main tree species being used are Jatropha curcas and Karanj (Pongamia pinnata). In addition, some Castor (Ricinus communis L) shrubs will be mixed in initially. All 3 species are found naturally in the semi-arid tropical regions of India and are well-suited for this area. They are just 3 of dozens of local tree species that contain a significant amount of oil in their seeds.

Planting of Castor between other trees will be encouraged in initial years to generate an income within 9 months of planting. It is a fast growing hardy shrub that can be planted directly from seed.

Jatropha is attractive because it also grows rapidly and produces more seeds 2-3 years after planting. It lives much longer than Castor (up to 50 years) and therefore does not need to be replanted.

Pongamia takes longer to mature, but eventually produces significantly more oil. The tree is nitrogen-fixing, meaning it helps to improve fertility of the soil. It can live up to 100 years.

Jatropha and Pongamia both have strong tap root systems that go deep to find moisture and nutrients, and therefore both manage to grow on badly eroded and rocky soils. The deep roots and leaf fall help to bring up and hold nutrients at the surface, gradually regenerating eroded topsoil.

Hardiness? Nutrition? Care? Water needs?

Relatively little fertilization, but like all living organisms trees need the most care early in their life. After they are established, Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata are remarkably hardy tree species that survive off natural rainfall in the semi-arid tropics.

Average rainfall in the campaign area is around 700 mm/yr, and there is significant scope for capturing this water through micro-catchments, check dams and contour trenching. With such practices, these trees can grow well without additional irrigation from underground sources or canals.

Most of the species are not attacked by animals that roam the area, and those that are can easily be protected with thorny bushes. None of the trees planted have significant timber of firewood value, and thus do not need to be guarded against logging. Bio fertilizer/manure application and pest management treatments are also required rarely.

Can the trees work in any agroforestry system?

Yes, (Mostly) the trees included in the campaign can work in many agroforestry systems.

For example, intercropping of fodder between rows of trees could create extra forrage for the villager’s animals which at times, pass through the land to forage. Many fodder species also fix nitrogen from the air, thereby replenishing the soil with nutrients. Other low-maintenance legumes like certain lentils and peas could be used, depending on exact terrain.

It is also possible to plant some fruit trees around BioFuel trees.  The value of these fruit trees will be in the nutrition they provide to the locals, rather than in the commercial return obtained in local markets.

Pongamia and other included trees are well suited for bee-keeping, and the campaign will encourage ecoSHGs to design a plan with local bee keepers to start producing honey from these trees’ blossums.

These agroforestry and microenterprise activities will provide additional sources of nutrition from crops and trees that are not grown on the locals’ typical land areas and require little maintenance or water. Training and support in these activities will be given in Years 2 and 3 of the campaign while trees are maturing, ecoSHGs will have the option of deciding which activities are suitable to their “micro-forest” and worth their time.