Bioenergy requirements in the short to medium term, however, there are uncertainties concerning the availability of all of the above resource for the long term and in few countries some of them are already used completely (e.g. biomass originating from process waste in Germany). In addition, there will come a point where competition with food crops will limit the availability of land for SRF or other energy crops. It is therefore advisable to look into new biomass resources from the extreme deserts of Rajasthan in India, Sahara and middle east. Calotropis procera could be one such potential candidate which has been studied in detail. In addition to this aquatic plants and micro-algae offer and attractive proposition.

Ayurveda consist of two words ‘Ayur’ and ‘Veda’. It is a Sanskrit term and it literally means the science of life (Sharma, 1979). The scope of Ayurveda is vast. It not only deals with the prevention of disease and promotion of health and longevity but it also cures the disease. It also deals with rejuvenation. It can also be called the science of living and it is upveda of Atharva veda. It treats an individual as a whole and not only the symptoms or the affected parts, unlike modern medicines.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND BIOFUELS PRODUCTION: PROBLEMS AND PROSECTS ASHWANI KUMAR Energy plantation Demonstration Project Centre, Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 302004 msku32@yahoo.com. Phone 0141 2654100. Abstract

Out of the total land area of India, measuring 3,29 million ha. (mha), 150 m ha. is uncultivated and 90 mha. is categorized as wasteland. The broad subdivision of the wasteland 1S categorized as saline and alkaline, wind and water eroded land forming considerable part of wasteland.



1.2 The process of regeneration of vegetation in degraded and denuded land, representing virtual sand dunes providing an insight into regeneration pattern and biodiversity of the region.

1.3 Complete vegetation pattern of Rajasthan has been studied (1, 2, 3, 4) and succession using hydrocarbon yielding plants has been established at energy plantation demonstration project centre (EPDPC) (5).

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Bio-diesel production First efforts to cultivate hydrocarbon producing plants for fuel production were made by Italians in Ethiopia and French in Morocco. Later on Calvin and his collaborators have revived the idea again and have advocated the study of petro-crops as a possible feedstock for petroleum like materials. Presently the largest fuel programme is in Brazil where government currently spends a considerable amount on subsidizing the production of alcohol, mostly from biomass of sugarcane. Production was estimated to increase so muich that around 11 to 14 million cars will use alcohol (with gasoline) by the year 2000 (Korbitz, 1996).