Jojoba-An Alternative Agriculture

 in the Caribbean Area

 Ralph C. Cutting, Jr.
 R.C. Cutting & Co.
 P.O. Box 273, Belmont, MA 02178


 The need for a substitute for sperm whale oil and for a
lubricant to replace depleting fossil fuel reserves has been a
strong incentive for the development of jojoba, a plant native
to the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. Its popularity
now is based upon its ability to grow in soils of marginal fer-
tility, needs little water, withstands salinity and seems not to
need fertilizers and chemical treatments. Jojoba can be grown,
but can we afford to produce a crop? How much will it cost to
produce? What will it yield? What will it sell for once produc-
tion increases? These are major questions. Continuing research
is needed to determine optimum plant spacing, male-to-


female ratios, fertilization, weed-disease-insect control, culti-
vation and harvesting techniques. Answers to these questions
take time and continuing genetic breeding must be done
before consistently high yielding can be expected. The cost of
producing jojoba appears to be economically feasible now,
based upon existing knowledge. Plantations now-need to be
developed on large enough scales to demonstrate jojoba grow-
ing feasibility. This system will provide a basis for establishing
this industry in the Caribbean when the need for raw materials
becomes acute.


JOJOBA: What is it?
 A 45-ton 75-foot long sperm whale and a desert bush share a
natural miracle: both produce highly prized unsaturated oils that
have a multitude of industrial and consumer product uses. But
because the hunted leviathan is an endangered species, its oil
cannot be imported into the United States. Actually jojoba is a
better natural substitute. An acre of jojoba could replace the oil
taken from 30 sperm whales.
 Jojoba (pronounced ho'ho'ba) is a shrub of the Sonoran
Desert that has recently received widespread attention. Its
almond-shaped seeds contain an oil for which many uses have
been suggested. Much of the popular attention jojoba has re-
ceived is due to the fact that jojoba can be substituted for sperm
whale oil.
 An important industry based on utilization of jojoba is now
present in the southwestern U.S., Mexico and Israel. New ex-
perimental plantations exist in Brazil, Argentina, Spain, India,
Paraguay, Chile, West Australia, Italy and Sudan. Two factors
point optimistically toward a successful jojoba industry:
 1. Extensive stands of jojoba exist throughout the southwest-
 ern U.S. and northern Mexico in numerous suitable loca-
 tions with a minimum of irrigation.
 2. A wealth of scientific literature and laboratory tests indicate
 considerable potential for a variety of jojoba products.

General Information
 The native habitat of jojoba is in the Sonoran Desert of
Arizona, California, and Mexico covering 100,000 square miles
between latitudes 25 degrees and 31 degrees North. Extended,
this area would be in the Bahamas and Southern Florida. There
are many populations varying from a few individuals to several
hundred per acre, and some populations where millions of in-
dividual plants occur. In the Sonoran Desert this dioecious (male
and female flowers occur on separate plants) evergreen shrub
generally occupies elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 feet.
However, in Baja, California and some locations in Sonora it oc-
curs at sea level. Rainfall throughout its range is 5" to 18" annual-
ly. Temperatures range from highs of 115"F. to lows of 15 F.,
but seedlings are sensitive to frosts. Jojoba is considered an im-
portant year-round forage plant for many desert animals. It is also
excellent browse for game and livestock, and the seeds are util-
ized by birds and rodents. However, seed meal is highly toxic to
humans and most animals unless detoxified.


VOL. XX-PROCEEDINGS of the CARIBBEAN FOOD CROPS SOCIETY


Potential Uses
 The oil is actually a liquid wax made of straight-chain acids and
 alcohols that are difficult and expensive to artificially produce.
 Small manufacturers are using all they can lay their hands on to
 produce high-priced cosmetics like moisturizers, conditioners,
 shampoos, sun screens, and after-shave lotion.
 In its solid state, jojoba oil can be a cheaper replacement for
 carnauba wax, beeswax, and other plant-derived waxes now sell-
 ing for up to $2 per pound. This shorter term market is a billion
 dollar one itself; imports of carnauba and beeswax to consuming
 nations total 20,000 tons.
 Sperm whale oil used to be the best natural, high-pressure lubri-
 cant available, but now jojoba can tolerate higher tensions without
 breaking down and is faster migrating. It requires little or no refim-
 ing and is easily sulfurized into lubricants for auto transmissions,
 heavy machine parts, and even artificial hearts. As a crankcase ad-
 ditive, some vehicles have increased gas mileage by 13%.
 Solid jojoba wax is almost identical to polyethylene and can be
 mixed with it for cheaper manufacturing of petrochemical-based
 plastics. Other uses include detergents, auto and floor waxes, inks,
 carbon ribbon coatings, candles, linoleum, varnish, protective
 coatings on fruit and paper containers, and sizing for yard goods.
 One pharmaceutical manufacturer uses jojoba oil as an ex-
cellent antifoaming agent in the production of penicillin and in
the making of tetracycline. Even the oil extracted meal has value
as an animal feed supplement, yielding 20-30% protein and as a
high-nitrogen fertilizer.

Economics
 Total production figures for 1984 are not currently available
but should exceed 500,000 pounds of oil .. nowhere enough to
meet demands from cosmetic firms, small oil companies, and
larger corporations doing industrial research and production.
However, pricing for jojoba oil is running at $40-$50 per gallon in
55 gallon drums and during this most recent season seed pricing
remains high at $5-$7 per pound. It takes about 21/2 pounds of
seed to make one pound of oil using current methods of extrac-
tion. There are 7.2 pounds of oil to the gallon. Thus, jojoba oil
selling for $6-$8 per pound makes jojoba the highest priced
agricultural product in the world with the exception of opium
and marijuana.
 Current research shows that an acre of plantation jojoba can
produce up to 3,750 pounds of seed when the plants have


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