JATROPHA CURCAS L: A MULTIPURPOSE ENERGY CROP

Jatropha curcas is a perennial crop originating from Central America that has become a promising candidate crop for production of bio oil which has the potential to replace or complement fossil diesel. This crop shows favourable attributes and considerable potential, such as hardiness, drought resistance, rapid growth, high oil content, and multiple uses. It is claimed to enhance socioeconomic development, especially of poor rural areas in developing countries. Moreover, it can reclaim marginal and degraded lands in (semi-)arid regions, without competing with food production and without depleting natural carbon stocks and ecosystem services. Nevertheless, the full potential of this crop has not been realized yet, and there are several gaps in knowledge of its growth and agronomic management.