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Jatropha is a highly adaptable species
and thrives under wide range of climatic and soil conditions.
It has high drought tollerance and is well adapted to arid
and semi arid conditions. Jatropha can be planted as a pure
block, a boundary fence or an intercrop in existing plantation
of coconut, mango, citrus, cashew, etc. The plant may start
seeding from the first year itself. However, the yield peaks
up from the third year onwards and stabilizes by the sixth
year. It has an average yield of 2 kgs per plant in well irrigated
conditions. The seeds of Jatropha curcas yield oil after processing
is transformed into transport fuel also known as biodiesel.
 The
plant lives for about 35-40 years and produces seeds every
year , throughout its lifetime.
The seeds can be stored for upto three months under cool and
dry conditions without any reduction in the oil content.
Jatropha plant are at a risk from the following
factors:
Natural calamaty
Diseases and
pests
Uprooting of
Jatropha plants by humans
It is important to note that the ingestion of Jatropha seeds
is harmful to health, especially that of children.
Most soil types, such as red and
black, are suitable for raising Jatropha plantations. The
Jatropha plant, however, is best suited to sandy, well-drained
soil. Although these plants can survive in very poor soil
and in saline conditions, cultivating them under such conditions
is not recommended if the objective is to secure commercial
yields. Likewise, although the plant can tolerate some water-logging,
prolonged contact can lead to mortality/slow growth. Rocky
lands are also not recommended for raising Jatropha plantations.
 It
is necessary to dig pits for planting Jatropha. The recommended
pit size is 45X45X45 cm. One can plan the earthwork in anticipation
of planting activity, or it can be done just before planting.
Spacing between the pits should be as per the plantation model
finalized in consultation with the farmer. Care should be
taken to stagger the pits in the case of a two-row boundary
plantation.
 The
pits should be filled with soil mixed with farmyard manure
(about 1 kilogram per pit), 120g (grams) SSP (single super
phosphate), and 100g neem oil cake at the time of transplanting.
Neem oil cake is essential, as it immediately provides protection
from several pests in addition to fulfilling the nitrogen
demand. Such refilling should be to the extent of half the
depth of the pits (20–30 cm). The seedlings are transplanted
in the centre of the pit. After the establishment of the plant,
20g urea and 16g MoP (muriate of potash) should be applied.
The urea should be applied in two splits at 10g per plant.
The Jatropha plants can be protected from termite and fungi
by using 50g methyl parathion dust per pit and 0.05% Bavistin,
respectively. If the termite attack is severe, a spoonful
of Chloropyrophos can be added to the mixture.
In case pits have been dug in the past (less than 2–3
months), they need to be re-opened by excavating loose soil
and refilling them with the desired planting mixture.
Before removal from the nursery, plants
should be thoroughly watered to moisten the soil and to avoid
desiccation during transportation until planting. There are
no special problems in removing plants grown in polybags,
if the roots have not grown out and penetrated into the soil.
However, care should be taken to prevent them from desiccation,
and to ensure that the ball of earth does not break.
Bare-root seedlings should never be kept
exposed to wind and sunlight for a long time. After lifting
them from the nursery, and before planting them in the field,
bare-root plants should be wrapped in a wet gunny bag and
kept under shade. During transit, water should be liberally
sprinkled over them. They should be transported to the destination
and planted as quickly as possible, within
24 hours of uprooting.
Planting should be ideally done at the
start of the monsoon, immediately after the first rains, when
the soil has adequate moisture. In case an assured source
of irrigation is available, planting can be done at any time
during the planting season.
At the time of planting, the plants should
be between 45 and 60 cm in height, sturdy, and free of diseases
or pests, with healthy green leaves. The roots of polybag
plants should not be coiled. The polythene bag should be torn
carefully without breaking the ball of earth and disposed
of. The plant should be kept straight at the top of the half-filled
pit. Subsequently, the rest of the pit should be filled with
the farm-yard manure–local soil mixture, and compacted
around the plant with the feet. In case naked-root seedlings
are used, the plant should be kept straight in the half-filled
pit, and the filled soil should be pressed hard and made compact
to keep the plant straight. Special care should be taken to
prevent damage to roots.
Irrigation is beneficial in the first two
months after planting, especially if the monsoon is delayed.
Once the plants are established and acclimatized, they have
a lower water requirement. Depending upon the situation, irrigation
should be done on an as-and-when-required basis. Irrigation
is required primarily if it does not rain within a week of
planting. Subsequently, it is required once during peak winter
and then at the time of fruiting. The plant tolerates dryness
very well, and can survive even under drought conditions.
Collar rot disease is common in Jatropha.
This can be overcome by using 1% Bordeaux solution. Beetles/hoppers/leaf
miner larvae are the common pests afflicting the plant. Endosulfan
(3 ml/litre) can be used to control these pests.
Weeding and hoeing operations should be
done at the end of the monsoon to facilitate moisture conservation
and to prevent competition from weeds. About 2–3 hoeing
and weeding operations are recommended.
Better yields are obtained on poor-quality
soils if fertilizers containing small amounts of calcium,
magnesium, and sulphur are used. Mycorrhizal associations
are known to aid plant growth, and TERI-raised Jatropha plants
are already inoculated with good-quality mycorrhiza. Neem
waste and farm-yard manure are also known to enhance plant
growth.
 To
restrict the height of the plant and to facilitate higher
flowering, pruning is advised during dormant months (December–January),
after the fruits have been harvested. During the first year
of growth, plants should be pruned at a height of 45 cm with
a very sharp knife or secateur. In the subsequent years, all
new branches should be cut (December–January) to limit
them to one-third length. Diseased, dead, excessive, weak,
and lateral branches should also be removed.
This will facilitate an umbrella-shape
growth resulting in higher flowering and seed production.
Further, it will also make seed harvesting simple and convenient.
There could be some mortality in plantations
due to outplanting shock, drought, disease, fire, floods,
and so on. Such stock should be replaced in the months of
February–March (in case of assured irrigation) or July–August,
by following the procedures mentioned above. In case of large-scale
mortality (>50%), it is essential to ascertain the cause
of mortality by seeking expert opinion.
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