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Jatropha, Challenges for a New Energy Crop


Volume 2: Genetic Improvement
and Biotechnology

In our world, where energy demand is increasing and access to fossil fuels becomes uncertain and expensive, a growing interest in renewable energy is developing. In particular, financial efforts and scientifi c investments have been made to find substitutes to replace gasoline in transportation. Plant sugars, oils, and, more generally,
plant biomass are proposed as possible options to produce liquid bioenergy.

In this context, the 1980s saw the extensive cultivation of crops and wild species with high carbohydrate or fat content for biofuels. With the food price increase of 2007, partly attributed to the cultivation of crop plants for biofuels , renewed interest has been paid to exploit nonedible plants for their biomass, high sugar, or oilcontent.