Biodiesel plant faces threat from infestation

This might be a serious setback for India's quest for a dependable supply of clean and naturally accessible source of bio-fuel

As the globe wakes up to the harsh fact of gas stations without a decrease of fossil fuel in order to dispense one day, nonedible essential oil bearing seeds of Pongamia Pinnata, a species of bio-diesel plant widely found in Karnataka and other parts of India as well as seemingly a durable way to obtain bio-fuel, has become the cynosure of most eyes.

Unfortunately, the plant sometimes known by its myriad nearby names such as Karanja, Pongam, Papar, Kanji and Karanga, is faced with the problem associated with gall in its flower, that damages the plant seed, the origin of the bio-fuel. This may be a significant setback for India's pursuit of a dependable source of thoroughly clean and naturally available cause of bio-fuel.

Scientific research has verified that diesel fuel removed from Pongamia Pinnata seed products is better than the bio-fuel taken out from other nonedible oil seed like jatropha curcus, moha, undi or saemaruba.

Actually Pongam methyl ester is located to show good fuel attributes that are comparable with fossil fuel because of the relatively higher percentage of oleicacid within the pongam oil. It has additionally better low temperature operability compared to jatropa oil methyl.

Chemical substance analysis has revealed that methyl esters produced at lower pressure and low temperature the weather is noncorrosive. Biodiesel produced from jatropha, however , has slight hazardous effect on the piston lining. Such unique properties regarding Pongamia Pinnata oil allow it to be a promising bio-fuel plant involving tomorrow. However , the immediate issue of the scientific community within India is to effectively tackle the issue of flower gall inducer in Pongamia Pinnata and its management. Spearheading the actual battle against the flower gall is R Sundararaj, mature scientist and head connected with forest and wood safety division at the Institute associated with Wood Science & Technologies under Indian Council regarding Forestry Research & Schooling, union ministry of atmosphere and forests. Dr Sundararaj says the flower gall inducer is the gall midge -- Asphondylia pongamiae - (a small or minute 2 winged fly that types swarms and breeds within flower).

It breeds might be pongam plants and infests its flowers at the reproduction stage by inserting ova into the buds. Symptoms of contaminations surface within 10-15 times of laying eggs.

The pals are turned into young sub-globular galls within a month involving infestation. Petals towards the bulged portion of infested ovary change whitish-green and coarse. Right after two months of gall advancement the petals and sepals drop from the gall in support of the developed nut formed gall will be visible within the tree, explains Sundararaj.

Talking about the management of floral gall inducer, Sundararaj states it can be dealt with by bringing out neem-based insecticides at the flourishing stage. Since the galls tend to be 'univoltine' (producing one generation in a season and especially just one brood of eggs effective at hibernating), he suggests, eliminating them at any stage connected with gall development and wrecking them by burning or even burying them underground. Within extreme cases he indicates cutting off the branches associated with infested pongam tree.

Native to the Indian subcontinent and also south-east Asia (Malyasia along with Indonesia), the medium dimension tree has been successfully brought to humid tropical regions of the entire world such as Australia, New Zealand, China and USA.

Since the tree also tends to happen naturally along coasts in addition to riverbanks in India, Bangladesh, Burma and Australia additionally it is known as a 'maritime species'. It may withstand 500-2500 mm regarding rainfall, 0-16 degree centigrade to 27-50 degree centigrade temperature ranges but require 2-6 months of dried out spell. The plant can be very easily grown in India's big tract of non-fertile as well as waste land.

Ovary gall, and young gall

Even while in Australia Pongam planting project forms a critical element of the country's ambitious bio-fuel project, in India 'energy plantations', involving the Pongam continues to be set up as part of microenterprise.

"Bio-fuels are destined to make a substantial factor provided the flower gall inducer is managed effectively to the future energy needs of the domestic and commercial economics. Pongam will effect most significantly through the extraction involving seed oil for use inside the manufacture of biodiesel, inch a joint technical bulletins on flower gall inducer and its management by Sundararaj, SC Joshi and Ur Devaraj say.

Almond-sized plant seeds on pongam tree take place within 4-6 years of sugar plantation, yielding 9-90 kg connected with seed per year. The produce can reach up to 900 to be able to 9, 000 kg/hectare. Research shows that about 135, 000 million tonnes of necessary oil can be extracted from pongamia seeds per annum.

Currently just 6 per cent of the complete output is being utilised.

"Pongam tree has been effective inside controlling soil erosion, holding sand dunes with the help of the dense network of spectrum of ankle roots, restoration of male fertility in degraded soils because of its nitrogen fixing ability.

"It is used as a medicinal flower in Ayurvedic and Sidda medicine system for the remedying of bronchitis, whooping cough, rheumatic joints and to quench dipsia in diabetes patients. The actual bark is used internally with regard to treating piles, beriberi and also diabetes and as an antimicrobial, " says V Ramakantha, director of IWST.

Because India gears up to create and expand infrastructure for you to tap renewal energy sources, interest is also being paid right now on the management of the damaging effect of flower gall inducer on pongamia pinnata bio-diesel plant.

The infestation, based on a survey conducted upon plants in and around Bengaluru, seems to be widespread calling for urgent activity.

Roving survey conducted in pongam in plantations, strategies and alongside agricultural waterways and in dry lands throughout 10 rural pockets associated with Bangaluru has shown that twenty to 89 per cent regarding plants have flower gall infestations. The infestation would be to the extent of 22 to help 88 per cent in 7 selected urban areas of the town.

On an average 50 % of the trees in Kolar, Hassan, Mandya, Mysuru, Udupi, and Tumakuru districts happen to be found to be infected.

Unquestionably, scientists are faced with a good uphill task of controlling the gall menace.

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