There are suitable conditions for growing energy crops like Jatropha curcas and Ricinus communis in Benin. Research assessed the oil quality from seeds collected in three locations, finding high calorific power and low acidity and peroxides indicating potential for biodiesel. However, Ricinus oil was much more viscous than diesel. Mixing the oils with diesel reduced viscosity to suitable levels, with Ricinus requiring a higher diesel proportion. Sweet sorghum is also proposed as a dual-purpose crop that can provide food, feed and fuel without threatening food security, especially in drought-prone areas. Varieties were tested for biomass, sugar and drought tolerance. Recommendations include choice of sowing date

1. 1
Food and energy challenges: how Jatropha curcas, Ricinus
communis and sweet sorghum could be a solution in rural area?
Presented by :
Dr. Thierry K. TOVIGNAN
Smart Villages, West Africa Regional Workshop, May 23-25, 2016, Accra, Ghana

2.  Agro-ecological potential in Benin
 Cultivated land : 8.300.000 ha still available
(70% of overall cultivated areas)
 Annual rainfall: 750 to 1.200 mm
 Potential of irrigated land : 322.000 ha,
among which 117.000 ha of flood plains and
205.000 ha of bas-fonds (CBF/DGR, 2000).
Context [2]
There are suitable agro-ecological conditions for energy crops in Benin.
 Benin: National Electrification: 29%,
Rural Electrification: 9% (2013). Source: WOE, 2015

3. 3
Jatropha curcas Ricinus communis
 Biodiesel (crop for oil)
Palm tree
Anacardium
occidentale
Maize Manihot Sugar cane
 Bioethanol (carbohydrates source)
Sweet
sorghum
Context [3]
 A rich agroforestry resources diversity for biofuel in Benin

4.  Now, the question is how to produce energy without threaten the
food security ?
Jatropha curcas Ricinus communis
We proposed to study:
Neglected resources
but with high energy
potentiality
Sweet sorghum
An alternative for
sugar cane in areas
with high water
constraints

5.  Is oil quality depended on the cultivated areas ?
 Are all agro-ecological areas in Benin suitable for
J. curcas and R. communis cultivation ?
 What simple technical solution to propose to the
farmers for the use of oil in engine?
Research questions?
Valorization of underutilized oil resources from
Benin: Jatropha curcas and Ricinus communis
biodiesel potential assessment.
Calavi
Dassa
Parakou
3 locations where
seeds were
collected in Bénin
Jatropha curcas Ricinus comminus

6. 6
 Jatropha curcas: oil quality assessment
Oil content
(%-almond)
Oleic acidity
(%)
Peroxyd index
(meq Kg-1 O2)
Viscosity
(30°C)
(mPa s-1)
Lower calorific
power
(KJ Kg-1)
JCC (Calavi, South) 47,94±0,73 1,87 ± 0,02 2,30 ± 0,06 36,71 ± 0,16 35069±1565
JCD (Dassa, Centre) 50,12±0,38 0,46 ± 0,02 1,04 ± 0,04 33,71 ± 0,67 38170 ± 780
JCP (Parakou, North) 50,62±2,25 0,92 ± 0,05 1,51 ± 0,14 35,35 ± 0,31 38787 ± 78
Literature 47,251,34 1,76  0,10 0,99 ± 0,04
6,31  0,12
17,1 37000 - 39000
Gasoil - - - 4,48 ± 0,10 46672±3506
 Oil quality indexes (acidity et peroxyd index) were relatively low;
==> harvest conditions and stabilization were relatively good (Djenontin et al, 2006)
 Viscosity (33 – 37 mPa.s-1; 30°C) was high / literature (17,1 mPa.s-1; 30°C ) (Akintayo, 2004)
 Calorific power was high (35069-38910 KJ Kg-1) and close to those mentioned in literature (Marty, 2005)
(37000 – 39 000 KJ Kg-1), showing oil could be applied as biodiesel (Demirbas, 2001)

7. 7
Water
content
(%-almond)
Oil content
(%-almond)
Oleic
acidity
(%)
Peroxyd
index
(meq Kg-1 O2)
Viscosity
(30°C)
(mPa s-1)
Lower calorific
power
(KJ Kg-1)
RCC (Calavi, South) 7.15 ± 0.30 46.35±0.50 7.06 ± 0.02 3.79 ± 0.13 273.37 ± 1.48 38174±168
RCD (Dassa, Centre) 5.97 ± 0.34 42.59±2.09 1.82 ± 0.01 0.20 ± 0.19 474.35 ± 4.54 38910 ± 1151
RCP (Parakou, North) 4.70 ± 2.14 43.28±2.43 4.17 ± 0.02 4.83 ± 0.00 374.98 ± 0.52 36119 ± 1461
Literature - 45 - 50 2 5 625 - 1041 36000 - 39900
Gasoil - - - - 4.48 ± 0.10 46672±3506
Need to be transformed before using as biodiesel
 Good quality index (acidity and peroxyd index) except acidity of RCC (7.06) that was high but low / Norm
relatively good harvest and stabilization conditions.
 High calorific power (36119-38910 KJ Kg-1) and close to literature data (Marty, 2005)
 Very high viscosity (273 – 474 mPa S-1) : +13 times viscous than crude oil of J. curcas
 Ricinus comminus: oil quality assessment

8. Gasoil incorporated in J. curcas or R. communis oils to enhance its biodiesel performance
How can peasant without technical knowlegde can easily use oil from
local resources in engine?
Suggestion of some gasoil proportions to be incorporated in crude oils!
 Problem
Crude oil is very viscous
 Solutions:
 Need to adapt engine to oil
Or
 Adapt oil to engine.
The latter is ease for peasants.
 A panel of melanges studied

9. Measuring cell
Chronometer
Ball
HOEPLER viscosimeter
Regulation system
MALHER bomb calorimeter
Stirring system
Temperature sensor
Power
Electrodes
Biodiesel performance assessment in the lab
 Viscosity  Lower calorific value

10. 10
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Proportion gasoil (%-m/m)
Viscosité
(mPa.s-1)
Viscosité JCP
Viscosité RCD
The reduction of the viscosity
A moderate quantity of gasoil incorporated in oil reduced its viscosity
Jatropha Ricinus
 0% of gasoil : viscosity of RCD (474.35 mPa.s-1) was 13 times > JCP (34.87 mPa.s-1)
 25% of gasoil : viscosity of RCD (99.51 mPa.s-1) was 5 times > JCP (20.12 mPa.s-1)
 50% of gasoil : viscosity of RCD (29.76 mPa.s-1) was 2 times > JCP (13.12 mPa.s-1)
viscosity of RCD at 75% was almost = to that of gasoil

11. 11
37000
39000
41000
43000
45000
47000
49000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Proportion de gasoil (%-m/m)
PCI (KJ/Kg)
PCI- JCP
PCI-RCD
Reduction of lower calorific value:
 at 25% mm forJ. curcas
 at 50% mm for R. communis
Jatropha Ricinus
But need to be confirmed by test on engine. This is under discussion.
Lower calorific value evolution
Could be proposed to
the peasants.

12. 12Ideotypes for dual-purpose
(Gutjahr et al., 2013)
Drought????
Fight food and energy challenges by using
sweet sorghum in Sahelian conditions
How to produce energy without threaten food security ?
Sorghum growing areas in West Africa

13. August
July
Varieties collected
areas in Senegal
 Multipurpose abilitty
(grain, sugar, forage)
 Sowing date effect

14. 14Post-flowering drought
Sweet stem
Sugar
remobilization
MaturityYoung stage Flowering
Stay green contributed to stem sugar
maintenace under post-anthesis drought

15.  What do we propose?
 Advice on the choice of the sowing date according
to the agro-ecological areas
 Technical itineraries to be adopted
 Dual purpose varieties
 Technical knowledges
August
July
THANK YOU FOR YOUR Attention
High biomass
4.4 – 8.6 tons per ha
vs 8 tons in everage
for sugar cane
3.1- 3.7 tons
per ha
 Our actions
 Some of our varieties are in vulgarization in sorghum growing areas and
are adopted by the farmers.
 We highly communicate about these varieities.
 We were requested to support Ebola countries in seeds supply to revive their agriculture.