Physiological Changes in the Seeds of Jatropha curcas L. at Different Stages of Fruit Maturity

The objective of present study was to determine appropriate fruit harvesting stage for Jatropha curcas L. for getting seeds with good oil content and better germination. The seeds separated from the fruits harvested at yellow capsule stage (C-2) showed maximum germination efficiency, both under laboratory and nursery conditions whereas seeds separated from the fruits harvested at brownish black stage (C-3) yielded highest oil content. Yellow capsule stage (C-2) was physiologically mature fruit stage, which should be harvested to obtain the seeds with higher oil content besides showing maximum germination efficiency.