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The Indian Army which is actively particiapting in the program has planted Jatropha in 300 hectares to conduct key tests and uses oil from the plant’s seed as bio-diesel to power its tanks. The fuel mix comprises 80 per cent diesel and 20 per cent Jatropha oil. The Army is keen on Jatropha because it believes in case of war the first casualty will be import of petroleum products. There are now several hundred hectares of Jartopha plantations across the country without any government push, policy or subsidies that’s because Jatropha is a hardy species and can grow on wasteland. It grows almost anywhere, even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can thrive on the poorest stony soil and grow in the crevices of rocks. Environmentalists though warn it’s early days for Jatropha. “The problem is one that people often talk about wasteland but for ecologists there is no wasteland. All lands serves usefully ecological function,” says environmentalist Lester Brown. Jatropha is greener than diesel and experts say it has the potential to cut down 80 per cent of the carbon emissions from vehicles but time will tell if this wonder weed will replace costly conventional fuel and fire India's transport. When jatropha seeds are crushed, the resulting jatropha oil can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel that can be used in a standard diesel car, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants. The plant yields more than four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean, and more than ten times that of maize (corn). A hectare of jatropha produces 1,892 litres of fuel. Researchers at Daimler Chrysler Research explored the use of jatropha oil for automotive use, concluding that although jatropha oil as fuel "has not yet reached optimal quality, ... it already fulfills the EU norm for biodiesel quality". Archer Daniels Midland Company, Bayer CropScience and Daimler AG have a joint project to develop jatropha as a biofuel. Three Mercedes cars powered by Jatropha diesel have already put some 30,000 kilometres behind them. The project is supported by DaimlerChrysler and by the German Association for Investment and Development (Deutschen Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, DEG). Goldman Sachs recently cited Jatropha curcas as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production. However, despite its abundance and use as an oil and reclamation plant, none of the Jatropha species has been properly domesticated and, as a result, its productivity is variable, and the long-term impact of its large-scale use on soil quality and the environment is unknown. However, because jatropha is not edible, and because it can grow in harsh climates, it can be planted in areas where it won't compete for resources needed to grow food. 
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