Question

Which of the following plant species you would select for the production of bioethanol?

• A. Jatropha
• B. Brassica
• C. Zea Mays
• D. Pongamia

Answer 1

The correct option is A Jatropha

The production of bioethanol from plants depends on their glucose content. There are various crop plants like maize that have good glucose content but these are already used as a food crop. Therefore, the best alternative is to choose plants that can be used as a biofuel source without disturbing food production. So, the Jatropha plant is used for this purpose. The seeds of this plant are rich in fatty acid methyl esters and these produce a high amount of energy.

A. The oil obtained from Jatropha seeds can be processed to yield the biofuel.

B. One species of Brassica, called B. napus has shown bioethanol properties, but it is not used extensively.

C. Zea mays is used for bioethanol production in the places where its cultivation is very high, for example, the US. In other places, it is preferably used as a food crop.

D. Pongamia oil has to be mixed with Jatropha oil to produce bioethanol from it.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Jatropha'