Jatenergy commercialises jatropha seeds IP

Energy company Jatenergy has sold the first of its high-yielding jatropha seeds from its specialist oil seed plant breeding program in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The seeds have been sold to companies in Europe, Japan and Mexico for use in trialing the development of crude oil plantations based on the second generation renewable oil crop, jatropha curcas, with an additional 1.2 tonnes of seed sold for extraction trials in Japan.

The company has worked with Nuflora and The University of Sydney for five years to develop improved strains of jatropha for use in Jatenergy's own commercial plantations.

'The real profitability in producing jatropha comes down to the choice of seed stock. Commercially developed high-quality seed has the most influence on yields and the reliability of germination. Higher yields increase oil production, and reliable germination reduces plantation capital expenditure by promoting plant development and reducing labour and logistics management costs during nursery establishment. This is far easier to control with a quality gene stock than with plants from the wild or an unknown heritage. The use of proven agronomic techniques also is important so that each tree can attain its full potential,' says Jatenergy's Cambodian operations manager, David Granger.

Jatenergy is also sharing its plantation experience in the form of agronomy manuals, field guides, standard operating procedures, team training and field management.

'The IP commercialisation underscores the value of the work we have been putting in. Jatoil now can join Joil (Singapore) and Quinvita (Belgium) as being a quality provider and trader in seed IP,' says Mr Graham Brown, The University of Sydney's horticultural research manager.