A new bioenergy crop based on oil-rich seeds from the legume tree <em>Pongamia pinnata</em>

Abstract

Any informed discussion on the future sources of energy in our world requires the consideration of renewable biofuels. These are produced by biological processes, such as plant growth based on photosynthesis and microbes using waste products from diverse origins. Many biofuels, such as ethanol produced from plants like sugarcane, are seen as sustainable, such paradigms should be critically analyzed in terms of total inputs. The legume tree Pongamia pinnata (also called Millettia pinnata) offers a substantiated opportunity for a sustainable biofuel feedstock. It is characterized by fast plant growth, broad tropical and subtropical growth habitat, and high annual yields of oil-rich seed. Annual yield of the seed-extracted oil, rich in the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid (C18:1), is between 1,000 and 5,000 L/ha, depending on local conditions, including rainfall, temperature, and soil. It can be burnt in bioenergy generators to yield electrical output. It can also be converted to biodiesel by transesterification for transportation and industrial use. Conversion to aviation jet fuel by hydrogenation and subsequent purification is also possible. The legume nature of the plant allows it to harbor nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria (broadly called "rhizobia") in newly induced root organs called nodules. This symbiosis makes the energy inputs considerably less than those seen with nitrate fertilizer -requiring biofuel feedstocks, such as corn, sugarcane, and canola. Combined with general characteristics of plant, such as abundant seed set and large oil-rich seed, secondary products, such as seed meal and vigorous growth characteristics, make this tree an excellent candidate for sustainable bioenergy production in many parts of the globe.

Seasonal Variations in Bioaccumulation and Translocation of Toxic Heavy Metals in the Dominant Vegetables of East Kolkata Wetlands: a Case Study with Suggestive Ecorestorative Strategies

“…Alternatively, ecological restoration of the metal-infested cultivable/fertile land with hyperaccumulator bioindicator species (plants with a remarkable capacity of accumulating particular HMs/metalloids within their body tissues that are hundred to thousand folds higher than other usual species of plants) [ 73 – 75 ], as listed in [ 76 ], can be done. Hyperaccumulating biodiesel/bioenergy crops with oil-rich seeds (e.g., leguminous plants like Pongamia pinnata and Brassica juncea ) [ 77 , 78 ] can also be applied for ecorestoration of the study site. It is noteworthy that ecorestorative studies on EKW have not been previously reported, neither PGPR-assisted ecorestorative strategies been earlier proposed by any research groups.…”

Integrative Effects of Treated Wastewater and Synthetic Fertilizers on Productivity, Energy Characteristics, and Elements Uptake of Potential Energy Crops in an Arid Agro-Ecosystem

“…In recent decades, the world has recorded an uncontrolled and unprecedented use of fossil fuels which has significantly increased greenhouse gas emissions, global climate change, and health-related hazards. Thus, alternative energy sources are being investigated [21][22][23][24][25]. The alternative renewable sources of fossil energy such as wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass are considered vital for reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and the environmental concern, as well as for coping with global climate change [22,23].…”