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Ashwani Kumar
Energy Plantation Demonstration project and
Biotechnology Center
Bio-Technology Lab Department of Botany
University of Rajasthan, Jaipur - 302 004
E mail: msku31@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT: Jatropha curcas has now being extensively grown in India under the Department of Biotechnology supported micro mission projects with an object to identify, characterize and multiply high yielding strains and study their growth and productivity under different agro climatic conditions. In Rajasthan, Jatropha grows wild in south east Rajasthan which lies on south east side of Aravalli hill range which roughly divides the state in semi-arid and arid regions. Banswara, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Pali, Rajsamand, and Sirohi these districts of Rajasthan have huge strands of Jatropha growing under natural conditions. A detailed survey was carried out in these areas. 12 accessions were collected and 11 were analyzed for their oil contents. Four accessions having oil contents more than 35 percent were selected for multiplication at the Energy Plantation Demonstration Centre, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur under Department of Biotechnology supported micro mission programme. Nursery techniques for large scale plantation of elite strains have been developed. An area of 35 ha has been planted with Jatropha curcas with the high yielding strains identified during the course of investigation. The plants have shown great degree of genetic diversity. The morphological parameters have been employed to characterize initial growth of the plants in the nursery stage. Some of the plants in their second year of growth have shown flowering and fruiting during moths of September to January. Application of fertilizers and proper irrigation schedule has improved the growth and productivity of plants.
Keywords: Biomass resources, Biomass production, Biosdiesel.
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