A review on plant importance, biotechnological aspects, and cultivation challenges of jojoba plant

Abstract

Jojoba is considered a promising oil crop and is cultivated for diverse purposes in many countries. The jojoba seed produces unique high-quality oil with a wide range of applications such as medical and industrial-related products. The plant also has potential value in combatting desertification and land degradation in dry and semi-dry areas. Although the plant is known for its high-temperature and high-salinity tolerance growth ability, issues such as its male-biased ratio, relatively late flowering and seed production time hamper the cultivation of this plant. The development of efficient biotechnological platforms for better cultivation and an improved production cycle is a necessity for farmers cultivating the plant. In the last 20 years, many efforts have been made for in vitro cultivation of jojoba by applying different molecular biology techniques. However, there is a lot of work to be done in order to reach satisfactory results that help to overcome cultivation problems. This review presents a historical overview, the medical and industrial importance of the jojoba plant, agronomy aspects and nutrient requirements for the plant’s cultivation, and the role of recent biotechnology and molecular biology findings in jojoba research.

Deliberate enhancement of rainfall using desert plantations

“…Related projects are the Bonn Challenge (9), the Great Green Wall for Africa (10), and the Three-North Shelter Forest Program in China (11). Desert plantation potentials include significant carbon storage in vegetation and soils and qualification for carbon trading schemes (12), provision of valuable seed oils and bioenergy (13–15), increased viability of dryland agriculture (16), and soil protection and reversal of desertification (17). There are inherent problems with desert agroforestry though, primarily due to rainfall scarcity, poor soils, and high cost (18).…”

Transcriptome Analysis of Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) during Seed Development and Liquid Wax Ester Biosynthesis

“…Several studies have noted the unique characteristics of jojoba oil that makes it particularly useful in cosmetics, lubrication, and the biofuel industry [7][8][9]. The texture and durability of jojoba oil makes it preferable for skincare, pharmaceuticals, as a substitute for synthetic polymers, and as a natural raw material for biofuel production [10]. It also has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial [11], antifungal [12], and antioxidant [4] activities.…”

De novo in vitro shoot morphogenesis from shoot tip-induced callus cultures of Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R.Br. ex Sm

“…However, initiating the in vitro cultures is constrained by difficulties in appropriate explant availability in a season and obtaining the most suitable one for the in vitro clonal production. De novo shoot morphogenesis forms the basis for which new genetic variations and biotechnological approaches can be applied to improve clonal multiplication of medicinal plants en masse , particularly when mature tissues can be used [7–11]. Further, indirect regeneration can be used to study details of dedifferentiation events through the developmental stages, with application in genetic transformation studies and selection of superior clones [7, 12, 13].…”