Jatropha Curcas is a perennial, small tree growing to a height of about 3-5 meters. It grows in tropical and sub-tropical regions of any type of soil from poorest, stony to saline soils. It can survive in low rainfall conditions (200 mm) and in hot climatic conditions. It lives for 40-50 years. Jatropha can be cultivated as a commercial crop due to its diverse uses. For commercial cultivation, a little bit of care, some nutrition and moderately low watering could do wonders to a cultivator with significantly low investments.

Jatropha Curcas is resistant to drought and can be planted even in the desert climates, and it thrives on any type of soil, grows almost anywhere; in sandy, gravelly and saline soils. It needs minimal input or management (takes less people to manage and maintain the plantration). The plants can can survive long periods of drought. Propagation is easy, plant growth is rapid; forms a thick live hedge after only a month's planting. Jatropha Curcas quickly establishes itself and will produce seeds round the year if irrigated and starts yielding seed pods from the second year onwards and continues for 40 years. The seed pods are not the only valuable part of this plant, the leafs and the bark are used for various other industrial and pharmaceutical uses.

Normally a Jatropha tree takes 18 months to two years to produce flowers and up to 3 years to produce seeds. In actuality, many plants produce a substantial quantity of seed pods after the first year (within 18-months of seedling plantings). You see if the small 3 month sapling is planted, then it grows faster and starts flowering in the second year. But it is suggested that all the "first flowers" be plucked from the plants to give it one more year for a stronger plant development, and then harvesting the seedpods during the late second to third year. Now 3 years is not that long. For farmers, planting Jatropha represents an additional source of income at little cost. Jatropha can either be intercropped with existing plants, effectively fertilizing the soil, or it can be planted on unused land that poor nutrient content has rendered unsuitable for other crops.

Here is a picture of an "actual Jatropha Plantation. This plantation is located in Rajastan, India.

Below is a graphic example of the benefits of Jatropha, and its uses.

To Go Back to the first Jatropha page : Click Here .

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