Abstract
Intensive production programs of Jatropha curcas L. have been initiated in several West African countries, in order to increase and stabilize farmers’ incomes and also to produce biofuel. However, serious gaps in scientific knowledge on this crop could put at risk the chances of success for these programs. Therefore, the present work was undertaken to help better understand the germplasm diversity, farming systems and productivity of J. curcas in the Sudano-Sahelian environment. Parameters related to morpho-metric and chemical characterization of local accessions, on-farm surveys and agro-morphologic characterization of J. curcas were assessed. The results show that at farmer level, J. curcas is planted to increase income, but its integration into the production systems is performed through association with food crops or as hedgerows to delineate and protect fields. Fields dedicated only to J. curcas are still scarce and farmers invest minimal time and efforts for crop maintenance. The results also revealed a high variability among accessions for morpho-metric traits and oil content of seeds. Seed yield of J. curcas was low compared to projections made by common reports so far. This underlines the need to initiate research programs for breeding and improvement of the germplasm of J. curcas as well as development of appropriate technical packages for production in order to initiate a sustainable introduction of this crop into the farming systems of the Sudano-Sahelian zone.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
ANAMS (2010) Base de données de la météorologie du Sénégal; Tableaux climatiques mensuelles de Fatick. Agence Nationale de la Météorologie, Dakar, French
Bazongo P (2011) Introduction du Jatropha dans les exploitations agricoles de la zone ouest du Burkina Faso: état des lieux et effet de la plante sur les propriétés des sols et les cultures associées. Master dissertation, Institut du Développement Rural, Université Polytechnique de Bobo Dioulasso, Bobo Dioulasso. French
Cissé C (2010) Etude de la croissance et des réponses à la contrainte hydrique et au stade juvénile de six provenances locales de Jatropha curcas. Master dissertation, ENSA, Université de Thiès, Thiès. French
CSE/MEPN (2005) Etat de l’environnement au Sénégal. Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Protection de la Nature, Dakar. French
DAT (2001) Plan régional de développement intégré de Fatick. Direction de l’Aménagement du Territoire, Fatick. French
Diédhiou D (2011) Influence des pratiques paysannes de gestion de la fertilité et d’entretien des plantations sur la croissance et la production de Jatropha curcas L.: cas du terroir de Ourour (Bassin Arachidier Sénégalais). Master dissertation, ENSA, Université de Thiès, Thiès. French
Faye A, Fall CS, Dia D, NDour A, Wade I, Diédhiou I (2011) Impact de l’introduction des biocarburants au Sénégal: Évaluation du coût d’opportunité de Jatropha curcas L. pour les producteurs dans la zone de Kaolack. RIPIECSA, Cotonou; 18–21 Oct 2011. French
Ginwal HS, Phartyal SS, Rawat PS, Srivastava RL (2005) Seed source variation in morphology, germination and seedling growth of Jatropha curcas Linn. in Central India. Silvae Genet 54: 76–80
Ginwal HS, Rawat PS, Srivastava RL (2004) Seed source variation in growth performance and oil yield of Jatropha curcas Linn. in Central India. Silvae Genet 53:186–192
Heller J (1996) Physic nut. Jatropha curcas L. In: Promoting the conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops, vol 1. Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research/International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Gatersleben/Italy
IPCC (2007a) The physical science basis – working group I contribution to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK
IPCC (2007b) Climate change 2007 – impacts, adaptation and vulnerability – working group II contribution to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK
Jindal SK, Vir S, Pancholy A (1999) Variability and associations for seed yield, oil content and tree morphological traits in neem (Azadirachta indica). J Trop For Sci 11:320–322
Kane S (2010) Impacts spatiaux et scio-économiques de la culture des biocarburants sur la dynamique des systèmes agraires: Cas de Jatropha curcas L. dans la Communauté rurale de Ourour, Département de Guinguénéo. Master dissertation, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Dakar. French
Kaushik N (2007) Jatropha germplasm characterization for biodiesel production. Energy biosciences strategy for India, New Delhi, 10–11 Sep 2007
Kaushik N, Kumar K, Kumar S, Kaushik N, Roy S (2007) Genetic variability and divergence studies in seed traits and oil content of Jatropha (J. curcas L.) accessions. Biomass Bioenergy 31:497–502
Kundu SK, Tigerstredt PMA (1997) Geographical variation of seed and seedling traits of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) among ten populations studied in growth chamber. Silvae Genet 46:129–137
Le Houérou HN (1989) The grazing land ecosystems of the African Sahel. Springer, Berlin
Mponela P, Jumbe CBL, Mwase WF (2011) Determinants and extent of land allocation for Jatropha curcas L. cultivation among smallholder farmers in Malawi. Biomass Bioenergy 35:2499–2505
Pant KS, Khosla V, Kumar D, Gairola S (2006) Seed oil content variation in Jatropha curcas Linn. in different altitudinal ranges and site conditions in H.P. India. Lyonia 11:31–34
Ratree S (2004) A preliminary study on physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) in Thailand. Pak J Biol Sci 7:1620–1623
Sanou F (2010) Production de Jatropha curcas et impact de la plante sur les propriétés chimiques du sol: Cas de Bagré (Centre Est du Burkina Faso). Master dissertation, Université Polytechnique de Bobo Dioulasso, Bobo Dioulasso. French
Somé HK (2011) L’introduction de Jatropha dans les exploitations agricoles de la zone ouest du Burkina Faso : état des lieux et caractérisation des systèmes de production. Graduation dissertation, Centre Agricole Polyvalent de Matourkou, Bobo Dioulasso. French
Srivastava P, Behera SK, Gupta J, Jamil S, Singh N, Sharma YK (2011) Growth performance, variability in yield traits and oil content of selected accessions of Jatropha curcas L. growing in a large scale plantation site. Biomass Bioenergy 35:3936–3942
Wani TA, Kitchlu S, Ram G (2012) Genetic variability studies for morphological and qualitative attributes among Jatropha curcas L. accessions grown under subtropical conditions of North India. S Afr J Bot 79:102–105
Acknowledgement
The authors thank “Interdisciplinary and Participatory Research on the Interactions between Ecosystems, Climate and Societies of West Africa” (RIPIECSA) for financial support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Diédhiou, I. et al. (2012). Diversity, Farming Systems, Growth and Productivity of Jatropha curcas L. in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Senegal, West Africa. In: Carels, N., Sujatha, M., Bahadur, B. (eds) Jatropha, Challenges for a New Energy Crop. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4806-8_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4806-8_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-4805-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-4806-8
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)