Estimation of carbon in Jatropha curcas L. biomass and carbon footprint in its seed production

Biofuel from plants is claimed to be carbon neutral where unlike fossil fuel, carbon dioxide (CO2) produced from the combustion of biofuel is the same CO2 assimilated by the plant during photosynthesis. Among the plants that are attracting attention nowadays is Jatropha curcas. However, before biofu...

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Main Author:	Sulaiman, Muhammad Firdaus
Format:	Thesis
Language:	English English
Published:	2011
Subjects:	Plant biomass - Carbon content Jatropha - Carbon content
Online Access:	http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/30903/1/FP%202011%2046R.pdf
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spelling	my-upm-ir.309032014-05-06T03:33:22Z Estimation of carbon in Jatropha curcas L. biomass and carbon footprint in its seed production 2011-07 Sulaiman, Muhammad Firdaus Biofuel from plants is claimed to be carbon neutral where unlike fossil fuel, carbon dioxide (CO2) produced from the combustion of biofuel is the same CO2 assimilated by the plant during photosynthesis. Among the plants that are attracting attention nowadays is Jatropha curcas. However, before biofuel from Jatropha curcas could be labeled as carbon neutral, CO2 emission and/or sequestration from all sources of the production chain must first be quantified. The present study was therefore carried out from July 2009 until July 2010 at the Tanah Merah Estate, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan to (i) quantify carbon fixation through dry matter production of Jatropha curcas biomass, (ii) compare the carbon balance between land cultivated with Jatropha curcas and the land in its native state and (iii) establish a carbon footprint of Jatropha curcas seed production. Measurements were made at two different plots, one plot planted with Jatropha curcas while the other plot was the native state of the area. Soil CO2 flux and soil total and labile carbon were measured monthly while monthly plant biomass of Jatropha curcas was estimated from monthly stem diameter measurements 20 trees and an established allometric equation. The estimated biomass was then converted to amount of carbon stored based on analysis of biomass carbon content. In comparing the carbon balance between the two types of land use, carbon balance was calculated as the amount of carbon stored in biomass minus the amount of carbon emitted as soil flux and emissions associated with the use of agricultural inputs. The carbon footprint of Jatropha curcas was calculated by dividing the total emitted carbon by the amount of yield (i.e. seed). Results from this study showed that 2.46 Mg carbon ha-1 was sequestered in biomass of Jatropha curcas while emission from Jatropha curcas cultivation was 9.12 Mg carbon ha-1. Soil carbon at both plots did not show any significant changes (P<0.05) throughout this study. Comparison between the two plots showed that emission from the plot planted with Jatropha curcas was marginally higher than at the natural state plot by only 1.20 Mg carbon ha-1. The minimum carbon footprint value of Jatropha curcas cultivation during the first year of its cultivation was 2.96 Mg carbon Mg seed-1. Plant biomass - Carbon content Jatropha - Carbon content 2011-07 Thesis http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/30903/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/30903/1/FP%202011%2046R.pdf application/pdf en public masters Universiti Putra Malaysia Plant biomass - Carbon content Jatropha - Carbon content Faculty of Agriculture English
institution	Universiti Putra Malaysia
collection	PSAS Institutional Repository
language	English English
topic	Plant biomass - Carbon content Jatropha - Carbon content
spellingShingle	Plant biomass - Carbon content Jatropha - Carbon content Sulaiman, Muhammad Firdaus Estimation of carbon in Jatropha curcas L. biomass and carbon footprint in its seed production
description	Biofuel from plants is claimed to be carbon neutral where unlike fossil fuel, carbon dioxide (CO2) produced from the combustion of biofuel is the same CO2 assimilated by the plant during photosynthesis. Among the plants that are attracting attention nowadays is Jatropha curcas. However, before biofuel from Jatropha curcas could be labeled as carbon neutral, CO2 emission and/or sequestration from all sources of the production chain must first be quantified. The present study was therefore carried out from July 2009 until July 2010 at the Tanah Merah Estate, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan to (i) quantify carbon fixation through dry matter production of Jatropha curcas biomass, (ii) compare the carbon balance between land cultivated with Jatropha curcas and the land in its native state and (iii) establish a carbon footprint of Jatropha curcas seed production. Measurements were made at two different plots, one plot planted with Jatropha curcas while the other plot was the native state of the area. Soil CO2 flux and soil total and labile carbon were measured monthly while monthly plant biomass of Jatropha curcas was estimated from monthly stem diameter measurements 20 trees and an established allometric equation. The estimated biomass was then converted to amount of carbon stored based on analysis of biomass carbon content. In comparing the carbon balance between the two types of land use, carbon balance was calculated as the amount of carbon stored in biomass minus the amount of carbon emitted as soil flux and emissions associated with the use of agricultural inputs. The carbon footprint of Jatropha curcas was calculated by dividing the total emitted carbon by the amount of yield (i.e. seed). Results from this study showed that 2.46 Mg carbon ha-1 was sequestered in biomass of Jatropha curcas while emission from Jatropha curcas cultivation was 9.12 Mg carbon ha-1. Soil carbon at both plots did not show any significant changes (P<0.05) throughout this study. Comparison between the two plots showed that emission from the plot planted with Jatropha curcas was marginally higher than at the natural state plot by only 1.20 Mg carbon ha-1. The minimum carbon footprint value of Jatropha curcas cultivation during the first year of its cultivation was 2.96 Mg carbon Mg seed-1.
format	Thesis
qualification_level	Master's degree
author	Sulaiman, Muhammad Firdaus
author_facet	Sulaiman, Muhammad Firdaus
author_sort	Sulaiman, Muhammad Firdaus
title	Estimation of carbon in Jatropha curcas L. biomass and carbon footprint in its seed production
title_short	Estimation of carbon in Jatropha curcas L. biomass and carbon footprint in its seed production
title_full	Estimation of carbon in Jatropha curcas L. biomass and carbon footprint in its seed production
title_fullStr	Estimation of carbon in Jatropha curcas L. biomass and carbon footprint in its seed production
title_full_unstemmed	Estimation of carbon in Jatropha curcas L. biomass and carbon footprint in its seed production
title_sort	estimation of carbon in jatropha curcas l. biomass and carbon footprint in its seed production
granting_institution	Universiti Putra Malaysia
granting_department	Faculty of Agriculture
publishDate	2011
url	http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/30903/1/FP%202011%2046R.pdf
_version_	1747811603446759424

Estimation of carbon in Jatropha curcas L. biomass and carbon footprint in its seed production

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