Comparative studies for selection of Jatropha curcas L. capable of high yield and oil quality in Assam environment

Jatropha curcas L., a multipurpose shrub, originated in Central America, is present worldwide throughout tropical and subtropical regions. In India, J. curcas had recently been promoted as a potential source to reduce dependence on crude oil. However, our knowledge concerning genotype, phenotype and environmental interaction is limited. In the present study the magnitude of phenotypic growth, oil yield and quality of promising jatropha sources from India have been evaluated at Jorhat in Assam. The molecular basis of the phenotypic diversity present in different accessions predominantly recovered from different locations in India was also verified. After 36 months of field planting, significant differences were noticed among all accessions tested for agronomical and physiological parameters. Free fatty acids, triglyceride acid composition and the presence of phorbol esters and tocopherols have been studied as they influence oil quality. Integration of biochemical parameters with physiological and agronomical data shows that, under the Jorhat environment, accessions expressing the best performance in the field are also the best in oil yield and quality. Genetic diversity among all 31 jatropha accessions has also been studied using different molecular markers. Our results suggest that phenotypic diversity does not seem to rely on polymorphic genomic DNA traits as inferred by the use of the Tubulin Based Polymorphism and the Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA molecular markers.