Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.)
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Citation
Suhas Wani. (27/8/2013). Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L. ), in "Biofuel Crops: Production, Physiology and Genetics". Oxford, United Kingdom: Centre for Biosciences and Agriculture International (CABI).
Abstract
The claim of jatropha (Jatropha curcas) being a wonder plant is based on its perceived ability to grow successfully in semiarid
environmental conditions and on degraded soils. This chapter describes the (i) plant root traits and their significance for drought
tolerance; (ii) jatropha plantations' impact on hydrological processes (water balance, sediment transport and soil loss) and soil and
environmental quality (carbon and nutrient sequestration and soil biology in the plant rhizosphere); (iii) cultivation including vegetative
propagation, application of fertilizers and growth regulators, pruning, insect pests and diseases, intercropping, and seed yield; and (iv)
genetic improvement involving assessment of variability in jatropha accessions using molecular markers. The factors controlling upscaling
of jatropha cultivation are also discussed.
