A study on the potential of indigenous oil producing non edible plant species for biodiesel production in Tanzania
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Date
2016
Authors
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Biodiesel is one of the most sustainable environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel use. Food crops and exotic species form the major feedstock’s sources for biodiesel production which magnifies the food insecurity and environmental threats respectively. This study was conducted to identify indigenous non food oil producing plant species in Tanzania, their oil quality for biodiesel production, genetic diversity and allelopathic potential with the intention of evaluating their intercropping potential with selected food crop. Jatropha cursas, Ricinus communis, Moringa oleifera and Pongamia pinnata which are non indigenous species as well as Telfairia pedala which is indigenous but has a low scale of usage as food crop were used in this study for comparison purpose. Preliminary surveys, desk research and consultations with experts led to delineating the study sites to Iringa, Manyara, Arusha, Morogoro, Tanga, Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam regions from where seeds producing oil were collected. Species evaluation which led to the selection of the most potential species for biodiesel was based on: non edible species having oil bearing seeds with high yield components and oil content, having short growing season. Analyses of the oil quality parameters for biodiesel were conducted at TFDA, CPE-UDSM and Makerere University laboratories. Such oil quality was established based on ASTM and the DIN standards. AFLP markers were used to evaluate genetic diversity within and among the populations of Jatropha curcas, Croton megalocarpus and Croton macrostachyus species collected from Manyara, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro and Dar es Salaam regions. Allelopathic assessment was conducted on Zea mays (maize) and Phaseolus vulgaris (beans) growth and biomass using mature leaf and bark extracts of C. megalocarpus and E. bussei at varied concentrations. A total of 24 plant species with oil content between 17.65% and 60.73% were indentified. Selected species with high potential for biodiesel in terms of oil quantity were Excoecaria bussel, C. megalocarpus, C. macrostachyus, wild Cucurbita pepo var styriaca, Lagenaria siceraria, Calelodendrum capense, Telfairia pedata, J. curcas and Ricinus communis. Oil quality assessment established that E. bussel, C. megalocarpus, L. siceraria, T. pedata and J. curcas were the most promising species. Results on genetic diversity of C. megalocarpus, C. macrostachyus and J. cursas species showed that oil quantity was a characteristic of individual plants rather than species or population. Thus selection for high yielding gemplasm should target individual plants. C. megalocarpus had strong allelopathic effect on maize and beans, therefore not suitable under intercropping system with these crops. E. bussel had no allelopathic effect on maize, beans and lettuce therefore it is most potential for intercropping.
Description
Available in print form, EAF Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, (THS EAF SB113.2T34M67)
Keywords
Seeds, Seedlings, Plants, Protection
Citation
Moshi, H. N (2016) A study on the potential of indigenous oil producing non edible plant species for biodiesel production in Tanzania, Masters dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam