SURVEY AND COLLECTION OF JATROPHA CURCAS LINN. GERMPLASM IN CHIKKAMAGALURU, SHIVAMOGGA AND CHITRADURGA DISTRICTS OF KARNATAKA, INDIA

Abstract

Jatropha curcas Linn. endemic to Tropical America is a drought-resistant plant whichrecently gained much importance in Asia and Africa as a biodiesel crop. Though it haswide cultivation in these areas the characterization and conservation of genetic resourcesremain poor. The present study focuses on surveying and collection of J. curcas germplasmin the study area. The study area falls under three different Agro-climatic zone ofKarnataka viz., Southern Transition Zone (STZ), Hilly Zone (HZ) and Central Dry Zone(CDZ). All the taluks falling under STZ showed the incidence of J. curcas cultivation. InHZ except for Sringeri, all the taluks had an occurrence of J. curcas. The nonoccurrence ofJatropha plants in this area had been found mainly because of behavioral factor rather thanenvironmental. In none of the taluks of CDZ which included entire Districts ofChitradurga and Kadur taluk of Chikkamagaluru district, J. curcas cultivation was found.The unawareness shown by farmers to the crop was found to be the reason for the noncultivation of Jatropha plants in these areas. Among the districts, in Shivamogga all thetaluks had a prevalence of J. Curcas cultivation. In all the surveyed area J. curcas wasgrown as a hedge plant. The accessions belonging to drier regions of STZ had more fruitdensity per meter of live fence than the accessions of HZ with wet climate.