MANILA, Philippines — The Aquino Administration may halt further studies on jatropha as a biodiesel feedstock while it will continue to assess its commercial viability.

Science and Technology Secretary Mario G. Montejo explained this government has to differentiate the technical feasibility as against the commercial viability of jatropha as a biodiesel feedstock.

“Technical feasibility is sometimes different from commercial viability because it involves other issues,” said Montejo in a statement.

“At present the DOST is not keen on further studies on the processing of jatropha but would still complete the review and evaluation of past data and results,” Montejo added.

The government had conducted studies in the past on jatropha as biodiesel feedstock.

Recognizing that a pilot production is a necessity before large scale planting of the biofuel crop, there was no indication, though, that government will no longer renew interest in a pilot production study of jatropha biodiesel.

The government has expressed doubts on whether it was wise use of money to have invested in the large-scale planting of jatropha despite the absence of a full study showing its commercial viability.

“The proper scientific protocol in programs involving new technologies such as this is to conduct first a pilot-test and a thorough evaluation of its results to prove its viability before rolling it out,” Montejo said.

He admitted, though, that government indeed found in studies that jatropha can viably be turned into a methyl ester or a technically proper mix with diesel as a biological fuel source.

“The DOST proved the technical feasibility of producing jatropha oil and converting it to methyl ester. Methyl esters, or fats from animals and vegetables, were found in previous scientific studies to be suitable as blend for diesel fuel,” said DOST.

An earlier study indicated that jatropha can produce more than 30 percent oil yield and that it is more environment-friendly as fuel source than diesel.

And while there was doubt that planting jatropha may adversely impact on the existence of useful microbes that promote plant growth and protect crops from pests and diseases, this doubt was dismissed by another study supported by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, Natural Resources Research and Development.

“The study proved that jatropha did not hamper the production of functional groups of aerobic--those that can grow or live only in the presence of free oxygen, heterotrophs-- organisms which feed on others, and free-living nitrogen fixers,” said PCARRD.

Earlier, government studies banked on jatropha’s being a non-food crop as a good biofuel mix for diesel. This is unlike coconut which although commercially viable as a biodiesel feedstock is a food crop that can threaten food security.

Besides, jatropha can live under poor conditions, which may make it cheaper as farmers can plant it in vast marginal lands.