High yielding accessions of JATROPHA CURCAS: a bio-diesel plant

Ashwani Kumar

Energy Plantation Demonstration project and Biotechnology Center.

Bio-Technology Lab Department of Botany

University of Rajasthan, Jaipur - 302 004

ABSTRACT: Jatropha curcas grows wild in Udaipur division in Rajasthan. Chattisgarh state and several other nothern states of India Under the micromission programme of Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India under chairmanship of Professor A.K. Sharma and Dr Renu Swarup, Director, and Dr Meenakshi Munshi Senior scientific officer work is being carried out in different states of the country regarding selection of eltie mateiral, its propagation, yield evaluation, genetic characterisation and developing proper agrotechnology. Under a Department of Biotechnology research project sanctioned to Professor Ashwani Kumar at University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 302004 work was inititiated on collection of eltie material. Several locations have been identified 21 accessions have been collected out of which data has been completed on 11 and 4 out of which are high yielding i.e. heptane extractable oil contents are over 35 percent. Analysis of 19 samples is in progress. Unsaturated fatty acids range over 77 % in four accessions. The oil content analysis was done at Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi by Dr Nutan Kaushik.The application of nutrients improved plant growth but it did not improve the flowering. An attempt was made to improve flowering and fruiting which is reported in our other paper at V1.IV.45 (www.conference-biomass.com). Present study was aimed to increase total oil yield of Jatropha curcas and details of some of the strategies shall be presented here.

Old NID

59063