Selection of high-oil-yield seed sources of Jatropha curcas L. for biodiesel production

Method: Different geographic seed sources (in total, 80) of Jatropha curcas L. were collected in South China, and planted in a germplasm resource garden for the study of their biological characteristics and agricultural properties. Results: It was found that the average ground diameter, tree height and crown size of 2-year-old plants for the 80 sources was 0.076, 1.67 and 1.14 m, respectively, and the average 1000-seed weight was 0.676 kg (0.477-0.876 kg). The trees grew further to an average size of 0.13 m in diameter, 2.69 m in height and with a crown of 2.1 m at the fourth year. Among the 80 sources, six sources with higher oil yield and better expression of phenotype were selected for a small-scale trial, conducted to determine oil yield. A maximum value of 783 oil kg/hectare, that is, 2.7-times the national best yield, was achieved for 3-year-old trees. The oil produced from the six sources was further successfully processed to qualified biodiesel by a two-step process. Conclusion: High oil yield seeds were selected from the geological sources that can be further bred to meet the national requirement for large-scale plantation to provide crude Jatropha oil for the production of biodiesel. © 2010 Future Science Ltd.