The concept of growing dedicated energy crops is relatively new to India compared to North America, where there is available land suitable for growing crops but not currently being

used for food, feed or fiber production. In India, energy plantations are being promoted in designated non-farmland areas, where poor soils and lack of water are often limiting factors. Crops suitable for biodiesel production have been given a greater priority in India because high gasoline prices are quickly driving the transportation infrastructure to favor diesel [26], with diesel demand now four times that of gasoline. Diesel has been the standard for agriculture but its use is increasing to fuel urban generators that provide backup to unreliable power utilities and irrigation pumps during seasons of drought [26].

Investment in biodiesel development in India has largely focused on the cultivation and processing of Jatropha seeds, which are very rich (50%) in oil [27] and were reported to grow well on marginal lands. Questions regarding performance of Jatropha plantations have prompted the Indian Union Rural Development Ministry to put a hold on the Jat — ropha plantations, pending further development [27], and to explore other energy crops. Estimated current hectares under Jatropha cultivation are just less than 500 000, which, at mature annual yields of at least 5 MT seeds per hectare, would produce 62.5 million liters biodiesel [28].

In terms of cellulosic energy crops, a few India-native species have been identified as promising but these are in early stages of development. Beema bamboo is a newly developed variety that grows quickly, produces high yields, and has high energy value and low ash content. Beema is suitable for high-density planting, is disease resistant, has good water-use efficiency, and responds well to agricultural practices. Under optimum growing conditions, a mature Beema plantation yields over 50 tonnes per acre. Plantation establishment time ranges from 2-4 years before the first harvest but then has a life span of over 50 years [23].

Marjestica (Paulownia) is a species of tree that will grow up to 28 feet in the first year and can be coppiced annually at least eight times. It has a low water requirement and can yield up to 40 tonnes per acre annually over an eight-year period before replanting [23]. Melia dubia also has promising qualities for plantation production. Traditionally grown as a source of firewood and for the plywood industry, melia dubia can be cultivated in all types of soil and requires a low supply of water on a daily basis. It is fast growing, has high energy value, and can reach a height of 40 feet within two years after planting [23]. It can then be pruned and harvested, often yielding more than 40 tonnes of biomass per acre every 18 months for up to 10 years before needing to be replanted.

Water hyacinth, an invasive floating plant that often jams rivers and lakes with uncounted thousands of tonnes of floating plant matter, is also under consideration as a promising biofuel crop [25]. A healthy acre of water hyacinths can weigh up to 200 tonnes. Water hyacinth in most places is under “maintenance control” and field crews are continuously working to keep the plant numbers at their lowest possible levels in order to keep rivers and lakes usable. Research institutes in India are working on identification of microorganisms that will produce enzymes to degrade the plant’s complex sugars or polysaccharides [25].