Petroplants or Petrocrops

Petroplants or Petrocrops :-

Latex of some plants containing long chain hydrocarbons is considered to be a good substitude for liquid fuels or petroleum. Such plants having large amount of latex with long chain hydrocarbon are called petroplants. Cultivation of petroleum is also a part of energy cropping . cultivation of these petrocrop was first of all done by Italians in Ethiopia about fifty year back. Although actual credit for identifying the petrocrop crops goes to Dr. Calvin . the most common petroplants  belongs to family

Euphorbiaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Apocynaceae, Compositae, Labiatae, Sapotaceae, urticaceae etc. which have property of converting large amount of their photosynthesis  into latex with hydrocarbons . their hydrocarbons contents can be increased by genetic manipulations . but commercial production of petroleum or liquid fuel alternative

Most Common Petrocrops are :

i.                    Euphorbia antisyphilitica

ii.                  E. caudicifolia

iii.                E. Lathyrus

iv.                E. roylena

v.                 Calotrophis procera

vi.               Copaifera langsdorfi

vii.             Cryptostegia grandiflora

viii.           Pittosporum resiniferum

The use of the petrocrops may reduce the pressure on liquid fuel or petroleum