Science Forums 2

[CraigD]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

I wonder how it [Jatropha] compares with Gopher weed, strangely, I can't find Gopher weed on Wiki

According to this very useful journeytoforever table, Jatropha is nearly 4 times as productive a biofuel source as Euphorbia lathyris (Gopher weed), yielding 1590 vs. 440 kg/ha. Both greatly exceed the lowest yield plant listed, corn, at 145 kg/ha, and are greatly exceeded by the highest, oil palm, at 5000.

More important that yield and oil quality, IMHO, are plants’ geographical growing ranges. Oil palm is a superb oil producer, but tropical, limiting its cultivation to equatorial regions, making getting it to major markets such as the EU and US financially and energy-expensive, and making lower-yield but heartier plants like Euphorbia attractive. Even hemp, at a lowly yield of 305 kg/ha, is attractive, as it grows well in temperate climates, and its post-oil-extraction fibers are useful.

Another important factor is the financial and energy cost of oil extraction. I’m unaware of a good source of this data, but know, for example, that extracting oil from certain fruit nuts is easier than extracting it from certain fiber plants.