1Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 123: 2010.

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 123:1–4. 2010.

The authors would like to thank the Florida Department of Agriculture and Con-sumer Services, Farm to Fuel Grants Program – Bioenergy Projects for funding support for this work. The assistance of Armando Garza is gratefully acknowledged.*Corresponding author; phone: (305) 246-7001 ext. 290; email: jhcr@ufl.edu

Krome Memorial Section

Preliminary Field Evaluation of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) under South Florida Environmental Conditions

Jonathan h. Crane*, Wagner a. Vendrame, Wanda montas, ania Pinares, and edWard a. eVans

Tropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, IFAS, 18905 S.W. 280 Street, Homestead, FL 33031

AdditionAl index words. Jatropha curcas, freeze protection, physic nut

Seventeen jatropha selections were planted 25 June 2009 at the Tropical Research and Education Center to evaluate their growth, development, and adaptation to a warm subtropical climate and calcareous soil conditions. Plants were grown from seed and 1 to 12 plants were planted per accession. Trunk diameter and plant height, and number of seeds and dry weight of seeds produced were periodically recorded. The mean percent change in plant height over the first 8 months ranged from 46% (Brazil-KB) to 86% (India). The mean percent change in trunk diameter was from 6% (Brazil-Plain) to 45% (Guatemala). Fruit were first harvested about 5½ months after planting. The mean number of fruits produced per plant varied by accession, with Ethiopia producing the least (0.3 fruits/plant) and Brazil-Plain producing the most (43 fruits/plant). Mean dry weight of harvested seed varied, with Ethiopia producing the least (0.6 g seed/plant) and India the most (94.3 g seed/plant).

The genus Jatropha belongs to the Euphoriaceae and contains about 170 known species (Heller, 1996). The probable center of origin for Jatropha curcas is Mexico and Central America, but its distribution is pantropic, having been distributed by the Portuguese explorers to Africa and Asia (Heller, 1996).

Historically, jatropha has been used as a living fence for fields and settlements, used in reforestation projects, its young leaves as food, the leaves, seed oil as a component of soaps, and seeds and bark as an ingredient in traditional medicines (Heller, 1996). Furthermore, extracts of most plant parts (i.e., leaves, seeds, stems) have been shown to have insect and disease control properties. Since the 1970s interest in bio-based seed oils for fuel have been actively sought and investigated. Much interest has centered on jatropha because of its inherent drought tolerance and little to no external nutrient input requirements. Jatropha offered the pos-sibility of producing bio-fuel on land not suitable for food crops and with few inputs.

Due to the recurring issue of finding sustainable energy sources to replace limited petroleum based fuels, the interest in jatropha production and seed oil extraction technology continues. With this in mind, a small jatropha collection was established from 17 different sources of seeds at the Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, with the purpose of beginning an evaluation of the germplasm under southern Florida conditions.

Materials and Methods

Jatropha seeds from 17 different sources were planted in trays 23 Apr. 2009 and transplanted to 3.8-L containers 20 May 2009 (Table 1). A 0.11-ha seedling planting was established 25 June 2009 at the Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC)

(25°50’N and 80°50’W, 3.8 m above sea level), Homestead. Plants were spaced at 2.4 m (in-row) by 4.3 m (between-rows). A microsprinkler irrigation system (98 L·h–1) was installed for irriga-tion and a high volume sprinkler irrigation system (0.64 cm·ha–1 per hour) was temporarily installed for freeze protection during the December to March period. Plants were fertilized monthly with 100 g (July through December) to 200 g (January through April) of 6N–5P2O5–15K2O fertilizer and irrigated every other day. No minor elements such as manganese, zinc, and iron have been applied. Plants were not pruned to induce branching so the natural growth habit could be observed.

The germplasm was grown in a marine subtropical climate

Table 1. Jatropha accessions and seed source planted at the Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL.

Accession SourceBrazil-EPB Brazilian source unknownBrazil-KB Collected in Brazil by Kerry HerndonBrazil-Plain Brazilian source unknownBrazil-UFPR Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), originated from Paraná State, BrazilCosta Rica EARTH University, Costa RicaEthiopia FACT Foundation, NetherlandsGuatemala FACT Foundation, NetherlandsHonduras FACT Foundation, NetherlandsIndian FACT Foundation, NetherlandsIndian AAF Alternative Aviation Fuels, New YorkIndia-Holland FACT Foundation, NetherlandsIndia-KB Collected in India by Kerry HerndonIndonesia FACT Foundation, NetherlandsIndonesia-Waterland Waterland Inc., IndonesiaMexico Vecenergy, Michoacan, MexicoMozambique FACT Foundation, NetherlandsTanzania FACT Foundation, Netherlands

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with mean annual temperature of 24 °C, an average maximum and minimum temperature of 29 °C and 19 °C, respectively, and an average precipitation of 1473 mm per year (Table 2).

The soil is classified as a Krome very gravelly loam (Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, hyperthermic Lithic Udorthens) (Li, 2001 ; Noble et al., 1996). These calcareous soils in their native state are very shallow, and moderately to excessively well-drained with limerock up to the soil surface. In order to use the soil it must be scarified and crushed with heavy equipment. Soil preparation prior to planting included rock plowing (scarification) to a 10–20 cm depth (Colburn and Goldweber, 1961). The rock-plowed soils consist of 34% to 76% limestone fragments, 2 mm in diameter or larger, pH 7.4 to 8.4, possess a low water holding capacity (~0.1 inch water per inch of crushed soil depth), 3% to 10% organic matter content, and low nutrient content (Li, 2001). Elements including magnesium, zinc, manganese, and iron, although present in the soil profile, are unavailable for plant uptake.

Due to the lack of plant material for some accessions, plants were not arranged to allow for statistical analysis. Data collec-tion included plant height (9 July and 29 Sept. 2009 and 10 Feb. 2010) and trunk diameter (29 Sept. 2009 and 10 Feb. 2010) from which the percent change in plant height and trunk diameter were calculated. Plant height was measured from the ground to the tip of the tallest branch and trunk diameter was measured at 15 cm on the trunk from the soil surface. Fruit were harvested on 2 and 16 Dec. 2009; 5, 20, and 27 Jan. 2010; 4, 11, and 25 Feb. 2010; and 31 Mar. 2010. The number of fruit harvested, fruit fresh weight, number of seeds per fruit, and dry seed weight were recorded. Individual seed fresh and dry weight was determined by randomly selecting 20 seeds per accession from the 2 Dec. 2009 harvest. Fresh fruit and seed weight were taken immediately after harvest and then seeds were dried at 70 °C for 24 h and reweighed.

Results

PlAnt height And trunk diAmeter. Plant height was first measured 14 d and trunk diameter 96 d after planting. The tallest accession after 7 months was Costa Rica (1.8 m) and the small-est, Brazil-EPB (1.4 m) and Tanzania (1.4 m). The accessions Indian AAF, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Mexico, Guatemala, India-Holland, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Brazil-UFPR had about a 70% increase in plant height over a 7-month period (Table 3).

In contrast, the percent plant height increase of Indian, Brazil-EPB, and Indonesia ranged from 86% to 95% whereas India-KB, Brazil-KB, and Brazil-Plain only had a 46% to 53% increase in height. Trunk diameters ranged from 52 mm (Mexico) to 66 mm (Costa Rica) (Table 4). The percent change in trunk diameter over a 5-month period was greatest for Brazil-UFPR (30%) and least for Indian (10%).

Fruit And seed hArvest And seed weights. The accessions began flowering during late Sept.–early Oct. 2009 and the first fruit harvest occurred 9 Dec. 2009, 6 months after planting 2-month-old seedlings. The most fruit harvested occurred on 16 Dec. 2009. There was a wide range in mean number of fruit harvested per plant with the Indonesia and Indian (one plant each) and Brazil-Plain producing more fruit (43–55 fruit per plant) than all other accessions (Table 5). Brazil-KB, Guatemala, Honduras, India-KB, Indonesia-Waterland, and Mexico produced an intermediate number of fruit per plant (19–25 fruit per plant). The accessions Ethiopia (0.3 fruit per plant) and Mozambique (2.0 fruit per plant)

Table 2. Thirty-year (1971–2000) monthly climate summary for the Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL.z

Month Avg maximum temp (°C) Avg temp (°C)y Avg minimum temp (°C) Avg total precipitation (mm)January 25 19 12 46February 25 20 13 58March 27 21 15 48April 29 23 17 79May 31 26 20 175June 32 27 22 221July 32 28 22 193August 32 28 23 252September 32 27 22 203October 30 26 20 132November 26 22 16 69December 26 20 15 48zHomestead Exp. Stn., Florida (084091), 1971–2000 monthly climate summary. The Southeastern Regional Climate Center, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. Website: http://www.sercc.com/cgi-bin/sercc/cliMAIN.pl?fl4091 (accessed 18 May 2010).yHomestead Exp. Stn., Florida, NCDC 1971–2000 monthly normals. The Southeastern Regional Climate Center, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. Website: http://www.sercc.com/cgi-bin/sercc/cliMAIN.pl?fl4091 (accessed 18 May 2010).

Table 3. Jatropha plant height after 7 months and percent change in plant height from 9 July 2009 to 10 Feb. 2010 in Homestead, FL.

Mean % changeAccession Plant ht (m) ± SD in plant htBrazil-EPB 1.4 ± 0.13 84Brazil-KB 1.6 ± 0.10 46Brazil-Plain 1.6 ± 0.13 53Brazil-UFPR 1.5 ± 0.14 80Costa Rica 1.8 ± 0.34 69Ethiopia 1.6 ± 0.13 72Guatemala 1.6 ± 0.08 71Honduras 1.5 ± 0.16 72Indiaz 1.8 ± ndy 86Indian AAF 1.5 ± 0.11 70India-Holland 1.5 ± 0.07 70India-KB 1.7 ± 0.15 49Indonesiaz 1.9 ± ndy 95Indonesia-Waterland 1.5 ± 0.07 64Mexico 1.7 ± 0.19 73Mozambique 1.5 ± 0.08 71Tanzania 1.4 ± 0.09 63zData from one plant.ynd = no data.

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Table 4. Jatropha trunk diameter after 5 months and percent change in trunk diameter from 29 Sept. 2009 to 10 Feb. 2010 in Homestead, FL.

Mean % changeAccession Trunk diam (mm) ± SD in plant htBrazil-EPB 58 ± 6.5 23Brazil-KB 62 ± 3.5 10Brazil-Plain 53 ± 14.5 6Brazil-UFPR 53 ± 9.3 30Costa Rica 66 ± 16.4 27Ethiopia 54 ± 2.8 17Guatemala 57 ± 3.8 45Honduras 56 ± 11.2 18Indiaz 58 ± ndy 10Indian AAF 60 ± 12.6 25India-Holland 58 ± 1.5 19India-KB 62 ± 5.5 16Indonesiaz 58 ± ndy 23Indonesia-Waterland 55 ± 7.5 19Mexico 52 ± 8.1 24Mozambique 62 ± 4.7 22Tanzania 61 ± 9.5 20zData from one plant.ynd = no data.

Table 5. Jatropha mean number of fruit and seeds per plant and mean total seed dry weight per plant from 9 Dec. 2009 to 31 Mar. 2010 in Homestead, FL.

Mean no. Mean no. Mean total fruit per seeds per seed dry wtAccession plant ± SD plant ± SD per plant ± SDBrazil-EPB 13.4 ± 8 34.4 ± 23 24.5 ± 16Brazil-KB 24.1 ± 16 63.1 ± 43 48.1 ± 33Brazil-Plain 43.0 ± 29 115.0 ± 80 84.1 ± 58Brazil-UFPR 10.0 ± 6 27.3 ± 18 21.8 ± 14Costa Rica 15.2 ± 9 42.3 ± 29 27.1 ± 18Ethiopia 0.3 ± 1 1.0 ± 1 0.6 ± 2Guatemala 22.0 ± 14 60.3 ± 41 45.3 ± 31Honduras 19.0 ± 12 52.0 ± 35 35.1 ± 23Indianz 53.0 ± 36 128.0 ± 89 94.3 ± 65Indian AAF 2.0 ± 0.2 12.0 ± 7 8.7 ± 5Indian Holland 16.0 ± 10 43.0 ± 29 28.8 ± 19India-KB 25.4 ± 16 67.0 ± 46 51.8 ± 35Indonesiaz 55.0 ± 38 145.0 ± 101 84.6 ± 58Indonesia-Waterland 19.0 ± 12 30.0 ± 20 36.0 ± 24Mexico 19.0 ± 12 50.2 ± 34 32.4 ± 22Mozambique 2.0 ± 0.2 5.0 ± 2 5.8 ± 3Tanzania 10.2 ± 6 29.0 ± 19 23.1 ± 15zData from one plant.

Table 6. Mean individual seed fresh and dry weight of jatropha acces-sions harvested 2 Dec. 2009 in Homestead, FL.

Mean fresh wt (g) Mean dry wt (g) Accession per seed ± SD per seed ± SDBrazil-EPB 1.15 ± 0.13 0.74 ± 0.07Brazil-KB 1.08 ± 0.21 0.74 ± 0.05Brazil-Plain 1.20 ± 0.22 0.76 ± 0.14Brazil-UFPR 1.04 ± 0.28 0.74 ± 0.13Costa Rica 1.1 ± .014 0.69 ± 0.14Ethiopia 0.77 ± 0.06 0.77 ± 0.06Guatemala 0.96 ± 0.14 0.77 ± 0.06Honduras 0.87 ± 0.10 0.70 ± 0.03Indiaz 1.17 ± ndy 0.77 ± 0.05Indian AAF 1.00 ± 0.13 0.76 ± 0.09India-Holland 1.18 ± 0.19 0.70 ± 0.16India-KB 0.86 ± 0.07 0.76 ± 0.07Indonesiaz 0.70 ± ndy 0.64 ± 0.08Indonesia-Waterland 1.25 ± 0.13 0.83 ± 0.05Mexico 1.02 ± 0.09 0.70 ± 0.03Mozambique 1.29 ± 0.08 0.80 ± 0.07Tanzania 1.28 ± 0.06 0.78 ± 0.06zData from one plant.ynd = no data.

had the lowest number of fruit per plant. There was a wide range in the mean number of seeds produced

per plant (Table 5). The accessions Indonesia and Indian (one plant each) and Brazil-Plain produced the most seed per plant (115 to 145 seeds per plant). Brazil-KB, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Indian Holland, India-KB and Mexico produced an intermediate number of seeds per plant; ranging from 43 to 63 seeds per plant. In contrast, few seeds were produced by Ethiopia (one seed per plant) and Mozambique (five seeds per plant).

Mean total seed dry weight per plant ranged from 0.6 g for Ethiopia to 94 g for Indian (one plant) (Table 5). Most other ac-cessions produced between 21 g to 51 g of dried seed per plant.

The lowest mean total seed dry weight was the Ethiopia (0.6 g per plant) and Mozambique (5.8 g per plant) accessions. Individual seed fresh weights ranged from 0.86 g per seed to 1.29 g per seed (Table 6). Individual seed dry weights ranged from 0.17 g (Brazil-EPB) to 0.83 g [Indonesia (one plant)]. Mozambique, Tanzania, Indonesia (one plant), and Brazil-Plain produced the heaviest fresh weight per seed and Indonesia (one plant), Mozambique and Tanzania had the heaviest individual seed dry weight.

Discussion

The preliminary data suggest there is a range of plant vigor and seed productivity among the accessions after only 7 months in the field. During July to September, plants were attacked by Phako-psora jatrophicola (jatropha rust), which caused small brownish circular necrotic spots with yellow hallows (Fig. 1) and broad mites

Fig. 1. Small brownish circular necrotic spots with yellow hallows caused by Phakopsora jatrophicola (jatropha rust).

4 Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 123: 2010.

(Polyphagotarsonemus latus) caused leaf distortion and stunting on most plants (J.E. Peña, personal communication) (Fig. 2). In addition, there was a period of more than 20 d during Jan.–Mar. 2010 where temperatures did not exceed 18 °C (FAWN, 2010) and three freezing events where temperatures dipped to –2 °C to –3 °C for 2 to 8 h per late night/early morning. During freezing weather events the high-volume irrigation system was employed at a temperature of about 2.2 °C and its operation maintained until temperatures exceeded 4 °C during daylight hours. During the freezing conditions on 24 Jan. 2010 ice completely encased the plants for about 9 h (Fig. 3). No plants were killed due to the freezing events or ice loading during freeze protection. However, plants did defoliate during February–March. Despite these biotic and abiotic events no plants were lost and all began to refoliate during March–April, except the accession Mexico, which began to re-foliate during May.

The evaluation of the growth, development, and seed yields will continue to better define the attributes of the various acces-sions under the warm subtropical climate and limestone-based soils of south Florida. Seeds are being evaluated for their oil content value. The information from this project may be useful in selecting genotypes better adapted to subtropical areas and highly

Fig. 3. During freezing weather events, the high volume irrigation system was employed at a temperature of about 2.2 °C and its operation maintained until temperatures exceeded 4 °C during daylight hours. During the freezing conditions on 24 Jan. 2010, ice completely encased the plants for about 9 h.

Fig. 2. Leaf distortion and stunting on most plants caused by broad mites (Polyphagotarsonemus latus).

calcareous soil conditions. Data collection on the phenology, leaf nutrient status, environmental tolerances, and pests attacking jatropha is ongoing.

Literature Cited

Colburn, B. and S. Goldweber. 1961. Preparation of oolitic limestone soil for agricultural use. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 74:343–345.

Li, Y. 2001. Calcareous soils in Miami–Dade County. Soil and Water Sci. Dept., Fla. Coop. Ext. Serv., IFAS, Univ. of Fla., Gainesville. p. 1–3.

Noble, C.V., R.W. Drew, and J.D. Slabaugh. 1996. Soil survey of Dade County area, Florida. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Gov. Printing Office, Washington, DC. p. 18–19,110,116.