A New Jatropha curcas Variety (JO S2) with Improved Seed Productivity

Chengxin Yi, Chalapathy Reddy, Kins Varghese, Thi Ngoc Ha Bui, Shilu Zhang, Manju Kallath, Binoy Kunjachen, Srinivasan Ramachandran and Yan Hong
Additional contact information
Chengxin Yi: JOil (S) Pte Ltd, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
Chalapathy Reddy: JOil (S) Pte Ltd, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
Kins Varghese: JOil (S) Pte Ltd, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
Thi Ngoc Ha Bui: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
Shilu Zhang: JOil (S) Pte Ltd, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
Manju Kallath: JOil (S) Pte Ltd, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
Binoy Kunjachen: JOil (S) Pte Ltd, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
Srinivasan Ramachandran: JOil (S) Pte Ltd, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
Yan Hong: JOil (S) Pte Ltd, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore

Sustainability, 2014, vol. 6, issue 7, 1-14

Abstract: One key reason for the failure of Jatropha plantation is the use of non-improved planting materials. We present in this paper a Jatropha variety (JO S2) through selective breeding with much better seed productivity than wild accessions as proven by field trials in Singapore and India. In a single farm trial in Singapore for two years, a comparison was conducted with accessions from China, India, Indonesia and Africa. It was found that all traits studied like seed yield, seed kernel content, seed oil content, fatty acid composition, phosphorus content and PE content differed significantly among and within the wild accessions. Overall, JO S2 was the best performer with the highest seed yield, high oil content and low phosphorus content. On two sites in Tamil Nadu, Southern India, this Jatropha variety produced up to 2.95 ton/ha of dry seeds in the first year and up to 4.25 ton/ha of dry seeds in the second year, much better than the local variety control. We attribute its higher seed productivity to early flowering, better self-branching, more flower/fruiting bunches, more fruits per bunch and importantly, better uniformity among plants. This exemplifies that breeding has improved Jatropha seed productivity which will lead to better economics for Jatropha plantation.

Keywords: Jatropha curcas; breeding; improved Jatropha varieties; field trial (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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