THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1978
Page 5
Jojoba oil shows promise
Editor’s note: This is the second of a
three-part series.
Until the late 60s, the oil of an
endangered whale species was used
to make automatic transmission
iluid and other lubricants.
■Concern about the mass whaling
harvest, especially by foreign com-
merical fishermen, resulted in con
gressional legislation. It banned the
killing of sperm whales in American
waters and the importation of sperm
whale oil-
As a result oi the 1971 ban, indus
tries have been pressed to manufac
ture a synthetic substitute capable
of providing continuous lubrication.
Scientists know of a substitute, in
fad. an oil producing plant, said Dr.
Charles Miller, plant researcher at
Texas A&M University. The only
problem is producing the plant in
significant quantities.
[I The plant is called jojoba (ho-ho-
ba). It grows wild in the desert
I Southwest and produces an oil al
most identical to the oil of the sperm
whale, Miller said.
“Jojoba shows great promise, if
we can get the information needed
to make it a high production crop.
Right now it’s a big gamble. It takes
too long to grow.”
“The oil of the jojoba is extracted
from the seed by crushing it in
equipment similar to that used in
cotton seed oil extraction,” Miller
said. “Jojoba oil is very pure and re
quires almost no refining.”
One of Texas first experimental
field research projects with jojoba
will begin this spring at Texas A&M
University. A small field plot and
greenhouse experiment are
planned.
Production of jojoba may require
an operation similar to citrus farm-
More than three years are needed
for jojoba to reach maximum prod
uction levels. At 1,000 plants to an
acre, there is a potential profit of
$4,000 an acre per year. “The seed
resembles a small olive and bears
the oil wax.
ing, Dr. Dan Bragg, another Texas
A&M scientist, said.
“As much as 60 percent of its
weight is a light yellow, odorless
liquid wax or oil,” he said.
A major advantage in growing
jojoba is it requires almost no water.
In areas of low rainfall (5-6 inches)
and low soil fertility, jojoba can
reach 4 feet in height. With rainfall
of 16 inches and medium soil fertil
ity, plants have exceeded 10 feet.
NEXT: A Gamble: Five Years to
Production
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