Jatropha Curcas - Cultivation Aspects

Climate:

Jatropha curcas grows well in humid to semi-arid or arid tropical and sub tropical environments. Survives well with an average annual rainfall between 200 mm to 2000 mm and has ability to withstand extreme drought and light frost condition.

Soil:

Jatropha curcas grows well in any type of soil whether gravelly, sandy, clayey or saline and thrives even on the degraded least fertile soils, stony soils and rock crevices.

Cultivable species

Several species are cultivated for their ornamental and other uses. About nine species have been recorded in India and among these Jatropha curcas has been found suitable for large-scale commercial cultivation.

Distinguishing Morphological Characters of Jatropha curcas

Grows to a small tree up to 15 feet, has glabrous leaves with 3-5 lobes, eglandular, cordate reniform lobed. Inflorescence is loose panicle of cyme with greenish white flower. The plant is monoecious and flowers are unisexual. Pollination by insects. Fruit is a capsule 3cm in size, with 3 locules contains 3 black colour seeds 2cm in size and 100 seed weight is 70-80gm.

Propagation

Jatropha curcas is a fast growing plant and can easily be propagated using either seeds or stem cuttings. Plants raised from seeds will be more robust, live for longer periods. Stem cuttings should be taken only in one year old plants, already lignified and about 60 to 120cm long.

Planting

Direct Seeding: The best time for direct seeding is the beginning of the rainy season. 2-3 Seeds are sown in the soil at a depth of 2-3 cm in each pit. Thin to one plant per pit.

Direct Planting: Cuttings taken from one-year-old plants with the length of 60 -120 cm should be placed about 20 cm in to the soil. The best planting time is 1-2 months before seasonal rain.

Transplanting of Precultivated plants

Seedlings are raised in a small 200 gauge plastic bag (size 8" x 5") by using either selected seeds or stem cuttings. The bags are filled with soil and organic manure and Bio fertilizers viz., Azotobacter and Phosphobacteria @ 1 gm each and VAM 5 gm , Bio control agents viz., Trichodermma Virdi and Pseudomonas @ 1 gm each should be added in the pot mixture. One seed is planted in each bag. Seed starts germinating after about 7-10days, after 3 months, at the beginning of the rainy season 30-40 cm high plants can be planted.

Spacing
Irrigated or Partially irrigated : 3 m X 3 m (1111 plants per hectare) or
                                                      3 m X 2 m (1650 plants per hectare)
Rain fed :                                    2 m X 2 m (2500 plants per hectare) or
                                                     3 m X 1.3 m (2500 plants per hectare)

Spacing can be altered based on soil type, irrigation, humidity, rainfall, intercropping etc. Closer spacing is preferred if the plant is grown for live fence and for soil conservation.

Fertilizer application:

The NPK requirement of this crop is 46: 48: 24 kgs per hectare besides application of organic manure. Apply 20gm urea, 120 gm single super phosphate and 16 gm murate of potash in the planting pits at the time of planting. In case of transplanted crop, the above fertilizer should be applied at the time of transplanting or immediately after plant establish in the pits. Besides Chemical fertilizer the Bio fertilizers like Azotobacter 5 gm, Phosphobacteria 5 gm and VAM 20 gms and Bio control agents like Trichodermma virdi and Pseudomonas @ 5 gm each should be applied per pit at the time of planting. The balance dose of urea should be applied in two splits @ 10 gm per plant at one month intervals after a month of basal dressing.

Inter cultivation

The field should be kept free from weeds in the initial periods until the crop crosses the grand growth period. Light harrowing between rows and plants are beneficial.

Pruning
The plant should be cut back with a sharp cutter at a height of about 30-45 cm from ground level, after a year of planting.

Allow the plants to grow and put on side branches up to next year.

2. In the second year, each side branches should be pruned by cutting 2/3rd top portion and retaining 1/3rd of branch on the plant. This will induce bush formation in an umbrella pattern rather than inducing medium tree like vertical woody growth.

There should be no compromise in cutting back and pruning as it facilitates proper seed production by full utilization of solar energy.

Pest and Diseases

Generally Jatropha species are known to be infected with leaf spots, powdery mildew, leaf curl diseases and common pests such as leaf miner, leaf Webber and beetles. However None of these cause considerable yield losses.

Year-wise Management of Jatropha plantation

1st year - Planting and cutting back, no seed production expected.

IInd year - Maintenance, protection & pruning, no seed production expected.

IIIrd year - Period allowed for establishment and growth of plant, no seed production expected.

IVth year - Plant expected to be ready to produce seed.

No production of seed should be expected in the first three years. From 5th year onwards, the seed production starts increasing which stabilizes from 7th year onwards.

Harvest

Ripe Jatropha fruits are yellow. The fruit dries and become hard and black. The dry fruit remain on branches. Harvest the fruit with a long stick with a circular comb with a cotton bag at one end. With this tool fruits can be picked from the trees, the picked fruit falls in to the bag and do not have to be found in the ground. Without this tool, fruits are hit by stick and they have to be collected on the ground.

Post Harvest & Processing

Drying: Before dehulling, the harvested fruits are to be dried in full sunshine by spreading the fruits over the plastic sheet or tarpaulin for a period of 2-3 days.

Decapsulation: The outer shell of the dried fruits are easily removed by mechanical/ hand sheller or manually by placing the capsules over a plat form and rub with wooden board, while pressing it down, the fruit hulls split and the seed comes out. Fruit hulls and seed can be separated by winnowing or sieving.

Drying & Storage of Seeds: Seeds should only be stored after careful drying, in a well-ventilated shady room.

Oil extraction: The seed contain 35-40% oil. Seeds are fed in to mechanical expeller and oil is extracted. The extracted raw curcas oil is filtered and this can be used along with diesel up to 20% for running diesel engines. The oil cake obtained from expeller contains good manurial value with 6%N, 2.75%P2O5, and .94% K2O which is similar to that of chicken manure.

Trans Esterification: A process, which converts the raw curcas, oil that contains tri-glycerides into methyl ester, which helps to lower the oil's viscosity and eliminates the risk of carbon deposits. Free glycerin is separated out from the oil as bye product and purified methyl ester is obtained separately which can be used as 100% diesel substitute.
Yield
Per Hectare
Seed yield
5000 - 7500 kgs
Oil Yield @ 35%
1750 - 2625 kgs
Oilcake @ 63%
1100 - 3150 kgs
Fruit shell
3300 - 4950 kgs

Other uses of the Jatropha plant:
  • Leaves can be used as vermicompost.
  • Provides material for ayurvedic medicin
  • Jatropha roots are used as a medicine for snakebite
  • Pre-matured stems are good for brushing teeth.
  • Burning dry leaves can control insects and flies

Advantages of Jatropha
  • Jatropha holds promise for rural prosperity to the farmers, farm labours and rural women in the terms of employment and income generation.
  • Jatropha can be grown in dry lands receiving high rain falll and lands with liited irrigation.
  • The byproduct (glycerin) emanating out biodiesel production will be used for soap making by self-help groups, which empower the rural women with entreprenurship
  • Jatropha adds richness to the environment by abating carbon, alleviating pollution, conserving oil and preventing soil erosion and desertification.
  • As fuel, it is renewable source, eco-friendly with no emissions, blends easily with biodiesell land there is no need for engine modifications.