Jatropha curcas in Nepal

Activities of utilisation of Jatropha curcas

Production of the Sundhara oil expeller by DCS		see also the web site of the Nepal/UK Oil Seed Project Photos by the Nepal / UK Oil Seed Project
In a Nut Shell: Wealth, Health, Energy and Environment, by Dr Mick Boswell published in the "Kathmadu Post" April 1^st 2001

Letter of Kayeswar Man Sulpya

RECAST
Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology
Tribhuvan University
Kirtipur, Kathmandou , Nepal

We are managed to plant 40,000 cuttings, seeds of Jatropha curcas in 22.5 hectares of land in Tanahu District of Nepal. The plants are planted in between the sisso tree (Dalbergia sisso) and open space. The plantation, weeding, caring and management is under the control of progressive poor women farmers. We used pressed oil cake and chemical fertiliser. The curcas plants which were treated pressed cake are tall and have more leaves than the plants treated with chemical fertiliser. The women also used it in their radish plant and found very positive results. We are using the pressed oil cake in rice fields with various concentration. We also used the oil and the fines (the residues of the oil ) to produce soap. The rural women are very pleased and we helped them to organise to form a cooperative so that they will expel the oil themselves, promote the plantation and make greenery as well as reclaim the soil fertility, produce soap by themselves. So the things are going well and hope the small reports when finished will be sent to you.

The oil mixed with kerosene (30:70) only works well. If we increased the proportion, the stove produce the smoke.

The oil from the new seeds without drying got partially solidified. After giving heat it melts and again slowly it becomes thicker and can see some particles. If kept in freeze, it partially solidified. The oil that are expelled from the dried seed and matured seed does not have that problem. So we are drying the seeds at various temperature to find out what's happing? May be the seeds are not matured so the fats contained in it does not undergo chemical changes. Have you ever noticed this kind of problem. This type of oil cannot be used to run diesel engine.

Kayeswar Man Sulpya
Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology
Tribhuvan University
Kirtipur, Kathmandou
Nepal

Tel: 00977 1 33 03 48
Fax: 00977 1 33 13 03
e-mail: sulpya@wlink.com.np

last modification 04.03.02 by