摘要：Abstract In the last years public and scientific debate about the reduction of CO2 and polluting emissions has intensified and the importance of renewable energies and fuel has increased. Scientific researches on the economic possibility to use wood and biomass to obtain electric and thermal energy has shown contrasting results. Jatropha curcas is a multipurpose plant with many attributes and considerable potential. This species is considered of a great interest for plant oil production purposes in the last years, also for its ability to grow on ‘marginal lands’, not suitable for food crops. In these conditions, prohibitive for other species, it may be also utilized to prevent and/or control soil erosion and to reclaim abandoned lands because of its widespread root apparatus development. This approach requires strategic and spatial planning for the land use. The present study shows preliminary results froma research project, funded by the Calabria Region, aimed to promote the cultivation of Jatropha in Calabrian marginal areas, for agriculture and bioenergy purposes. Several experimental fields with Jatropha plants, performed last winter in Calabria, produced positive results, and first processes for biodiesel extraction have been started. In conclusion, the considerable potential of this plant, the low input requirements and its lower CO2 footprint in comparison with other oil-bearing crops, as well as the ability to prevent soil erosion problems, are the main advantages and the main reasons to promote J. curcas L. cultivation in Calabrian marginal soils.
