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Earlier this century, jatropha was hailed as a "wonder" biofuel. A simple shrubby tree belonging to Central America, it was extremely promoted as a high-yielding, drought-tolerant biofuel feedstock that could grow on degraded lands throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia.
A jatropha rush ensued, with more than 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) planted by 2008. But the bubble burst. Low yields caused plantation failures almost everywhere. The aftermath of the jatropha crash was polluted by allegations of land grabbing, mismanagement, and overblown carbon decrease claims.
Today, some researchers continue pursuing the incredibly elusive pledge of high-yielding jatropha. A return, they state, depends on splitting the yield problem and dealing with the hazardous land-use problems intertwined with its initial failure.
The sole remaining big jatropha plantation remains in Ghana. The plantation owner claims high-yield domesticated varieties have been achieved and a new boom is at hand. But even if this resurgence fails, the world's experience of jatropha holds essential lessons for any appealing up-and-coming biofuel.
At the start of the 21st century, Jatropha curcas, an unassuming shrub-like tree native to Central America, was planted across the world. The rush to jatropha was driven by its promise as a sustainable source of biofuel that could be grown on degraded, unfertile lands so as not to displace food crops. But inflated claims of high yields fell flat.

Now, after years of research study and advancement, the sole staying large plantation concentrated on growing jatropha is in Ghana. And Singapore-based jOil, which owns that plantation, declares the jatropha return is on.

"All those companies that stopped working, embraced a plug-and-play design of scouting for the wild varieties of jatropha. But to commercialize it, you need to domesticate it. This is a part of the process that was missed out on [during the boom]," jOil CEO Vasanth Subramanian told Mongabay in an interview.

Having discovered from the errors of jatropha's past failures, he states the oily plant could yet play a crucial function as a liquid biofuel feedstock, reducing transportation carbon emissions at the worldwide level. A new boom might bring fringe benefits, with jatropha likewise a potential source of fertilizers and even bioplastics.

But some scientists are skeptical, keeping in mind that jatropha has actually already gone through one hype-and-fizzle cycle. They warn that if the plant is to reach full potential, then it is necessary to gain from past mistakes. During the very first boom, jatropha plantations were hampered not just by bad yields, however by land grabbing, logging, and social problems in nations where it was planted, including Ghana, where jOil operates.

Experts likewise suggest that jatropha's tale provides lessons for scientists and business owners checking out promising brand-new sources for liquid biofuels - which exist aplenty.

Miracle shrub, significant bust

Jatropha's early 21st-century appeal stemmed from its promise as a "second-generation" biofuel, which are sourced from lawns, trees and other plants not stemmed from edible crops such as maize, soy or oil palm. Among its multiple purported virtues was a capability to flourish on abject or "minimal" lands