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"Miracle biofuel" growing in SW Fla.

NewsPress – July 17, 2008

In Southwest Florida, a new weed called jatropha is being hailed the newest miracle seed in the quest for alternative fuel sources. It produces tiny fruits, which contain seeds that can be crushed for oil.

And it runs about two bucks a gallon.

Without any modifications, it can be used immediately in diesel engines. In fact, most diesel vehicles can currently use up to 20 percent jatropha oil as fuel.

It’s good news, especially with gas prices as high as they are.

But jatropha isn’t just about cheap fuel or making money for farmers. It’s about sustainability, according to Mark Dalton of My Dream Fuel, which is the only company in the world that can clone jatropha.

Each jatropha tree can produce up to a gallon of fuel per year, and it doesn’t have to be replanted every year.

“It’s good for 50 years,” Dalton said.

Each acre of jatropha can also take four tons of carbon dioxide out of the air each year, he said.

And unlike corn or soybeans, jatropha does not burden the food supply in the name of making fuel.

Out of all the states in the U.S., jatropha grows best in Florida, Dalton said. The plants thrive in the state’s sandy soil and don’t require much water.

Dalton worked with a long-time citrus farmer in LaBelle to plant a 30-acre test crop. Curiously, the 800,000 jatropha plant test crop sits between sleepy orange groves, a curious juxtaposition of Florida’s past merging with what could be Florida’s future.

Dalton has sold about 14,000 plants to farmers around Florida. My Dream Fuel also donated 1,500 plants to Roy Beckford of the University of Florida extension office in Fort Myers. Beckford gave them to families and farmers for their own testing.

Because the trees take 12 to 18 months to mature, it’s a slow process.

Once the trees are mature, My Dream Fuel plans to rent a 15,000-square foot area at the State Farmer’s Market in Fort Myers. The building will focus on crushing and cloning.

In addition to diesel engines, jatropha can also be used in other vehicles. Lamborghini R6 tractors can run on 100 percent jatropha.

Last month, New Zealand Airlines announced it plans to run on 10 percent jatropha by 2013. This fall, it hopes to launch a test flight with one of its four engines powered by the fuel, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“We’re still a very young industry,” Dalton said, noting the oldest jatropha trees in the U.S. were planted just four years ago.

It’s so cutting-edge that standards for the plants are still being developed. A convention in Germany in October will focus on long-term jatropha development.

Currently, about a million jatropha trees are growing in Florida. Dalton says the plants grow best in tropical and subtropical climates. He doesn’t recommend they be planted anywhere north of Lake Okeechobee.

Some plants are also growing in Yuma, Arizona. Texas and California would also be ideal for growing, Dalton said, but state laws don’t allow the plants to be brought in.

Jatropha can be purchased wholesale from foreign countries including India. The oil is not currently for sale in the U.S. Farmers say there aren’t enough trees growing to make enough yet.

But one day, they hope there are.

And then, perhaps the Sunshine State will be known for something else.

“Eventually, I’d like to see jatropha on the back of a license plate here in Florida,” Dalton said with a chuckle.

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