173 2012] VARIATION IN FRUIT M ORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS OF JATROPHA CURCAS AT STAND AND TREE LEVEL * KSHITIJ M ALHOTRA, DINESH KUM AR AND VIDYA DHAR PANDEY Silviculture Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, Uttarakhand Introduction several medicinal properties (Henning, 2002; Thomas, 1989). In recent years, utilization of J. curcas oil as a The term “Jatropha” is usually used to refer the source of fuel for aeroplane engine was successfully species Jatropha curcas , although there are over 200 carried out. known species of this plant in the world but in India only st twenty-six species have been reported in literature. In first decade of 21 century, J. curcas has been However, some of those are synonyms and only 12 planted on millions of hectares in India, but superior species are documented in India, which have variety is still awaited (Dhyani et al ., 2011). The superior internationally accepted botanical names (Malhotra et material can be obtained by tree improvement al ., 2011). programme, which basically seeks to exploit variability existing in the species. Variation studies on fruit and seed A fossil discovery in Belen (Peru) puts the existence morphological traits have been conducted in this species of J. curcas in the early tertiary era which began about 70 in the past, at stand (provenance) level (Ginwal et al ., million years ago. It may, therefore, be presumed that 2005) or at tree level (Pandey and Mandal, 2006), but this plant has been exposed to the most varied simultaneous assessment of variation at both levels is environmental influence so that only the hardiest not attempted so far. Khalil (1984), Kumar et al . (2007) specimen could survive. Because of its hardiness and and other researchers have analysed the pattern of high degree of adaptability to a wide range of edaphic variation at both these levels simultaneously in different and climatic factors, it is found all over the tropics and species, showing that there exists tree-to-tree variation parts of the sub-tropical regions (Patil and Singh, 1991). coupled with geographic variation in those species, but J. curcas is a fast growing perennial crop able to the relative magnitudes of these levels vary with species grow in a wide range of soils, especially gravelly and and traits. The present investigation is designed to sandy soils. It can reach a height of about 3 to 8 metres. It understand the nature, extent and pattern of variation can produce seeds up to 50 years (Gaur, 2010). The seeds existing across stands as well as among trees within stand can be harvested for oil extraction after 2 to 5 years of of J. curcas in respect of fruit morphology using nested plantation depending on the soil quality and rainfall. The analysis of variance for pure Model II (Sokal and Rohlf, annual yield of seeds is in the range of 0.5 to 12 tonnes 1969). per hectare (Heller, 1996). The cultivation of J. curcas is M aterial and M ethods successful in the tropics with annual rainfall of 250 to 3,000 mm. It can also grow at low altitude areas that have A survey was carried out to identify stands of J . o an average annual temperature above 20 C and curcas throughout the state of Uttarakhand, in experience slight frost (Tewari, 1994; Gaur, 2010). The accordance with definition of stand given by Schmidt plant is monoecious, bearing unisexual, occasionally (1997). Ten representative stands namely Saknidhar (S1), hermaphrodite flowers. Fruits of J. curcas are trilocular Naithana (S2), Bamoth (S3), Kothagi Bhatwarhi (S4), capsules which are ellipsoid in shape, initially green in Umrakot (S5), Tarigaon (S6), Kakkartala (S7), Belkhet (S8), colour and after maturation they turn yellow and finally Betalghat (S9) and Pili Parab and Indiranagar (S10), each develop dull dark brown or black exterior when ripe, having a minimum of 50 trees of J. curcas , were randomly breaking up into 3 cocci (Dehgan and Webster, 1979). selected in eight forest divisions of Uttarakhand. Randomly 8 to 10 representative trees were selected J. curcas has tremendous potential to provide us an from each stand having a minimum distance of 50 m from environmentally safe, cost-effective and renewable one another on the basis of the following criteria: fully source of biodiesel. Seed oil can be utilised as a biodiesel grown mature trees free from insects and diseases (after transesterification), and in making of soap, (minor infection was ignored), and well developed candles, varnish and lubricant. Its by-product glycerin can crown. be used in the pharmaceutical. The oil cake can be used as an organic fertilizer due to high nitrogen content (3.2 The selected trees were marked. Fruit collection to 3.8%) (Makkar et al., 2001). The plant possesses was done from each tree during July to August, 2007 * Department of Botany, Govt. Post-Graduate College, Rishikesh (Uttarakhand).