BIO-FUEL CROPS PRODUCING BIO-DIESEL

Bio-fuel crops currently being grown in the US include soybeans, corn, sugarcane, switchgrass and miscanthus. Although these plants are already being used to produce ethanol as a bio-fuel they can also be used to produce biodiesel.

One of the advantages of using bio-diesel instead of petroleum based diesel is that it doesn't create air pollution as it burns and its production creates less greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum based fuels. Bio-diesel does not contain sulfur making its emissions cleaner than petroleum diesel which is called "sulfur diesels". Although bio-diesel is a non-toxic renewable alternative to petroleum based diesel its production can destroy the environment and create health problems.

The problem that needs to be addressed is in creating the required amount of biodiesel which will meet the demand of using it as a lubricant. The reason why we need to evaluate alternatives is mainly because people are unwilling or unable to accept a substance which will cause harm to them or their environment. If biofuel production is stopped due to the threat, then oil dependent countries and companies might be forced to use more fossil fuel which will cause an increase in air pollution and global warming, consequently resulting into an increase in respiratory problems.

In order to make bio-diesel, first raw materials with high oil yields need to be chosen. The raw material should then be processed and converted into biodiesel using simple chemical reactions. Biodiesel can be extracted from a variety of seeds, grains, greases, and oils. Soybeans are the most widely used crops in the USA because they have high oil yield per acre which is the main factor in biofuel production.

There are two main competing sources for biodiesel: Jatropha Germplasm and Soybeans. Jatropha is considered a "miracle tree" by many because it produces seeds that contain lots of oil (50% - 65%). Jatropha has been known for a long time since the early 1980s when it was first discovered in India. New Zealand oilseed rape is also considered a potential source of biodiesel.

When biodiesel is produced from soybeans, the main fuel used is palm oil or rapeseed oil. Palm oil is extracted from the kernel of the palm tree. It can be used in diesel blending or it can be processed into palm olein, which is a 50% oil by weight fraction of palm oil with similar properties as diesel and can be blended with diesel. Rapeseed oil is the remaining oil after extracting rapeseed meal and consists of about 40% oil.

The use of bio-diesel is a controversial issue which will be discussed in the next two sections. Firstly, we will look into how bio-diesel production can affect agriculture and the environment. Secondly, we will look into how a lack of bio-diesel can lead to an increase in air pollution as well as an increase in global warming.

Most important crops grown for biodiesel production are used for food or other purposes but soybeans are being used for both fuel and food so there might be a potential for food shortages if biodiesel production is increased without any negative effects. 

Different studies have been conducted in order to evaluate the effect of using soybeans for biodiesel production. Their main problem is not to find the effect on the environment but to find a way to prevent it from happening. One study showed that using soybeans as bio-diesel can have a negative impact on global warming because of its production process which increases overall carbon emissions by 77.5%-229%. Another study has shown that there is no major environmental impact when soybean oil is used for biodiesel production.

There is a huge potential for using Jatropha for biodiesel production. Its seeds, which are called "beans", can be considered as a good source of biodiesel because of its high oil content. The major problem faced by Jatropha cultivation is its low yield per acre. It has an average annual seed oil yield of approximately 1,466 liters per hectare at the age of nine months old which is about 3% higher than soybean oil. It can also be used to produce biodiesel on a large scale but there are still some obstacles that need to be overcome in order to do so which include the high cost of producing it and increasing yields per acre.

There are many advantages of using Jatropha for biodiesel production but one of the main disadvantages is the absence of Jatropha germplasm which means that it might be hard to create a sustainable system for biodiesel production.

Jatropha cultivation can also have negative impacts on the environment because it uses large amounts of land and water resources as well as energy. It also causes deforestation as it needs more land than what its can produce on. Moreover, Jatropha will not leave anything except waste and it would need more space by using more land than what has been used.

When looking into how bio-diesel production affects agriculture and the environment, one needs to evaluate both effects simultaneously because they are very interconnected. Any change in bio-diesel production might cause a shift in the way agriculture is done and affect the environment in many ways.

The direct effect of using bio-diesel is that it can decrease the amount of land used for growing crops by 20%, especially for soybeans which have high oil yield per acre. It will also decrease food production by 30% because farmers have to use more land for soybeans than what they need, resulting into food shortages. Furthermore, bio-diesel might increase agriculture through its production method which reduces fossil fuel consumption and fossil energy source related air pollution increasing global warming by lessening air pollution.

Some factors which can affect the production of bio-diesel from Jatropha are its seed oil yield, age of the tree and its growth rate. Increase in seed oil yield will decrease costs and make it more profitable to produce. Using different strains will also increase yields per acre with better oil content which makes it more attractive for investors.

On the other hand, some factors which can affect the production of bio-diesel from soybeans are location and climate, vegetative growth rates, crop residue materials and oil extraction method. Soybeans grow well in warm places without much rainfall because they need a lot of water to germinate while they grow best in places with low humidity levels.

Conclusion

The use of bio-diesel is a significant and important aspect of our society because it can have both positive and negative effects on agriculture, environment, energy production and global warming. The production of biodiesel can affect agriculture and the environment in many different ways depending on what type of biodiesel is being used. 

The use of Jatropha in biodiesel production can cause negative effects to agriculture and the environment as well as global warming through many factors such as its low yield per acre and lack of germplasm making it hard to create sustainable systems for biodiesel production.