Presentation for the XII FORUM in Honduras in collaboration with the Energy and Environment Partners

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JATROPHA FOR BIODIESEL

• Presentation for the XII FORUM in Honduras in
  collaboration with the Energy and Environment
  Partnership with Central America (EEP)
• October 2008

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Background in Belize
• Project Objectives
• Activities and Results
• Agronomic Concepts Implementation
• Design of Plots
• Soil Improvement Products
• Networking
• Future Outlook

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INTRODUCTION

• FUNDING AGENCY EEP
• TOTAL FUNDS Euro 40,000
• PROJECT DURATION 18 month
• EXECUTING ORGANIZATION TSDF www.tsdfbelize.org
• TSDF is a Non-Profit that promotes sustainable
  development and use of natural resources in
  Belize. It is made up of tropical agriculture
  researchers and agronomists that have worked on
  Jatropha curcas L. RD projects since 1995.

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BACKGROUND IN BELIZE

• GOVERNMENTAL POLICIES
• An Energy Sector Assessment was conducted in 2003
• Preparation of Renewable Energy Policy in
  collaboration with CREDP
• EXPLORING BIODIESEL
• 100,000 tons of diesel imported per year equal
  to USD 40 Million
• A B20 Fuel Mix would create demand for 20,000
  tons of Biodiesel produced in Belize A savings
  of USD 8 Million in Balance of Trade.
• PRIVATE SECTOR
• International and local investors have shown
  great interest in beginning Jatropha operations
  in Belize

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OBJECTIVES

• Use improved seed material to increase yield
• Promote sustainable management methods for
  Jatropha cultivation
• Build RD partnerships to improve cultivation
  methods
• Perform tests of natural soil enhancement
  products
• Mobilize additional private public sector
  resources and move from financial aid dependency
  to economic feasibility

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ACTIVITIES RESULTS
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AGRONOMIC CONCEPT

• Two Jatropha varieties (from Guatemala and Cuba)
• Cultivated under the same agronomic and
  ecological conditions
• Measured against the following variables
• Irrigation
• Spacing
• Pruning
• Soil Enhancement Products

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IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

• Soil samples March 2008
• First Bushogging April 2008
• Burning (to destroy all weeds and thorny plants)
• Plowing 30. April 1.May 2008
• Second Bushogging
• Measurement of demonstration plots and research
  sections
• First Till disk
• Application of first soil enhancement 1618 May
• Second Till disk on soil enhancement area 19 May
• Second Till disk on rest of the area 20 July
• Marking of plant spacing for transplanting 21
  July
• Planting 2225 July 2008
• Field operation initiatedEnd of July

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DESIGN OF DEMOPLOTS
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YIELD IMPROVEMENTS

• Depend heavily on environmental conditions and
  agricultural practices.
• Breeding is expected to contribute 1.0 per year
  over a long period. (Source Jatropha World 2008,
  Miami)
• Focus should be on agronomic management and
  enhancement of soil.
• JATROPHA FOR BIODIESEL uses Effective
  Microorganism (EM) and Water Soluble
  Polyacrylamide (PAM) as natural pesticides and
  soil enhancers in combination with a
  nitrogen-fixing cover crop called Arachis pintoy
  to multiply benefits.

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EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISM (EM)

• DESCRIPTION
• A biological product that contains a mixture of
  beneficial organisms
• Lactic Acid bacteria decomposes organic material
  and controls the reproductive process of
  pathogens
• Yeast synthesizes hormones enzymes that
  activate the cellular functions of the roots
• Phototrophic bacteria decomposes gases that
  cause bad odors such as ammonia and hydrogen
  sulfide.
• RATIONALE
• In healthy soil, beneficial and pathogenic
  organisms should coexist
• The microflora of intensively cultivated soil has
  too many pathogenic microbes

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EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISM (EM)

• ADVANTAGES
• Safe, low-cost, easy to use manage, friendly to
  the environment
• increases crop productive capacity
• OTHER BENEFITS
• Promotes soil aggregate formation and resistance
  to soil compaction
• Increases native microbial populations
• Maximizes conversion of organic matter into soil
  humus
• Increases nutrient availability
• Helps improve soil structure and porosity
• Improves seed germination and root development
• Improves crop quality size, color, and shelf
  life
• Indirectly reduces operational cost

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EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISM (EM)

• APPLICATION OF EM SOLUTION
• Seed treatment Soak seeds before sowing in the
  planting container EM solution 110
• Seedling treatment Water regularly in the
  nursery stage
• EM solution 3,51000
• Soil treatment Spray after preparing land (treat
  for 14 consecutive days)
• 5 gallons per acre
• Foliar treatment Spray directly on plants (14
  days)
• 1 gallon per acre
• DISTRIBUTOR LOCAL PRODUCER
• BAEL (Belize Agro Enterprises Ltd) in
  collaboration with EMRO (Effective Microorganism
  Research Organization)
• EM was discovered by Dr. Teruo Higa, Faculty of
  Agronomy,
• University of Okinawa, Japan
• Visit www.emamerica.com

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EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISM (EM)

• EXPECTED RESULTS
• Growth and flower stimulation
• Stimulation of root growth plant health
• Reduction in foliar and soil born diseases
• Reduction in pesticide use (e.g. 40 in rice
  production)
• Reduction in synthetic fertilizer use (e.g.
  20-25 in rice production)

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WATER SOLUBLE POLYACRYLAMIDE (PAM)

• DESCRIPTION
• Environmentally safe, ultra-fine water-soluble
  polymer/acrylamide
• Degrades into organic molecules
• Binds soil particles together, causing them to
  settle prevent runoff
• Breaks down ammonia into nitrogen, essential for
  plant performance
• BENEFITS OF SOIL CONDITIOING
• Prevents soil loss (90-95) and phosphorus loss
  caused by irrigation
• Improves water infiltration
• Changes physical conditions of soil structure
• Increases oxygen, nutrition and organic material
  content
• Reclaims degraded land

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WATER SOLUBLE POLYACRYLAMIDE (PAM)

• EXPECTED RESULTS
• Better water use, plant growth and yield
• Reduction of soil borne diseases and crusting of
  soil surface
• Reduction of production cost
• APPLICATION (Mixture PAM/Gypsum)
• PAM 1-7 pounds dry granulate per acre
• Gypsum (Hydrated Calcium Sulfate)100 pounds per
  acre
• Costs PAM 8 US per pound Gypsum 0.25 US per
  100 kg
• DISTRIBUTORS
• Quality Plus Ltd. Belize, Santa Elena/ US Patent
  CA Arnold
• Demo plots within the banana and citrus
  industries in Belize
• Golden Colorado and Oregon State University

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ARACHIS PINTOI - LEGUMINOSAE

• COMMON NAMES
• Pinto peanut (Engl.) and Maní forrajero (Span.)
• DESCRIPTION
• Perennial herb that develops a strong taproot and
  forms a dense mat of stolons and rhizomes up to
  20 cm deep
• Low highland species (up to 1400m), high
  tolerance to shade and drought
• USE
• Forage legume in intensively managed grass/legume
  pastures and tree plantations, ground cover in
  tree plantations (Cook 1992).
• KEY BENEFITS
• Weed control, nitrogen fixation, lower surface
  temperature for better soil health and moisture

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DESIGN OF PLOTS
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NETWORKING

• Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment
  
• MET Service Belize
• Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC)
• Peace Corps Belize, UNDP, IICA, Taiwanese Mission
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
• GEXSI (Global Exchange for Social Investment)
• Biocumbistubles, Guatemala

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TSDFs PROJECTS IN BELIZE

• OAS Agro-Forestry Research Project (2003-2007)
• OAS Jatropha Innovation Center for Community
  Adapted Technologies (2007-2009)
• EEP Jatropha for Biodiesel (2007-2009)
• JEP Jatropha Evaluation and Breeding Program in
  collaboration with Wageningen University
  (2007-2010)
• Participation in the development of the EU
  Strategy Plan for Priority Sector Offerings in
  Orange Walk and Corozal Jatropha proposed as a
  potential energy crop (2008)

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FUTURE OUTLOOK

• JATROPHA FOR BIODIESEL, with the help of its
  partners and sponsors, will stimulate future
  Jatropha developments in Belize, including
• On-farm cultivation of Jatropha
• Use of technology to sustain rural community
  energy needs
• Initiation of a 200-acre model commercial farm
• Development of sustainable criteria for Jatropha
  out-growers systems
• TSDF has recently initiated RD collaborations
  with Plant Research Center Wageningen, TU Delft
  and Sustainable Energy for All Foundation
• We look forward to continuing to contribute to
  the development of renewable energies in the
  region.

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SEEDLING PRODUCTION
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TRANSPLANTING
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PLANTING
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SEEDLING AND ROOT DEVELOPMENT
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MAINTANACE
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THANK YOU

• Dipl. Ing. Sylvia Baumgart Laasner
• sylviabaumgart_at_tsdfbelize.org
• Office 501-822-1076
• Cell-phone [phone]