The Nature has actually given us many bounties ... some we know of and some that are still concealed in the deep secrets waiting to be exposed and waiting to enrich our lives. One of these bounties is Jatropha, the physic nut. It is among the most popular herbs and the term jatropha curcas is in fact a "genus" covering some 175 plants together. The name comes from Greek words for Iatros meaning physician and trophe meaning nutrition. So physic nuts or jatropha curcas, from the kingdom plantae is being studied commonly for it can be put to lots of usages in our every day lives.

To begin with, Jatropha is finding fantastic approval all over the world as a bio-doesel. The Jatropha seeds can be crushed to get the oil and this can be used as a bio-fuel. The residues can be utilized as fertilizer or as a feed for electricity producing plants. And this permits a sustainable development. Not simply the seeds, however the plant as a whole is well suited to satisfy the growing environmental issues. And why just the bio-diesel, it can be used as aviation fuel, car fuel and a host of other usages from other parts of the plants. The stems of this plant discover usages in basket making, ornamental purposes, and tanning leather and getting dyes. The plant even finds use in medicines for cough, balm ointments, toothpastes, and is even used to produce great quality paper. The plant is, therefore, being put to almost every imaginable use possible.

Though it puts the concern of having a sustainable source of energy at hands to a back burner, yet it needs to be supported and cared for to enable a healthy plant growth. And it has actually been observed that the jatropha curcas plants tax our water resources. So, they are grown in areas with plenty of rainfall. This cuts the burden on the water resources, allows water preservation and human effort too. Because the irrigation financial investment is just one time cost of time, cash, effort and resources, it is being accepted as a sustainable alternative worldwide.

But it is not all gift - gift about the plant. The Jatropha plant has poisonous material. It has lectin, saponin, phorbol, toxalbumin curcin and is a trypsin inhibitor. In simple words, it can be harmful and in severe conditions, even deadly to consume unattended plant. The seeds have to be appropriately roasted and treated before being used in any consumable use. Since it has become feasible to treat the hazardous content, the plant intake has actually also been increasing. To fulfill the increasing demands, the plant needs to be grown through different scientific techniques like in-vitro and ex-vitro propagation. This enables fast growth and for developing disease and bug resistant ranges of the plant. And a healthy crop will indicate more fuel and much better environment on the whole.

It is in our hands to reside in harmony with the nature, and it is our options that identify the result of the interaction we have with the nature. If we select environment friendly items, we enrich our lives. So, picking jatropha curcas can be the very first step in enhancing the wealth called environment.