Environmental influence on the physico-chemical and physiological properties of Jatropha curcas seeds

Abstract

The present study investigated the influence of two Brazilian environments on the physico-chemical and physiological properties of Jatropha curcas L. (physic nut) – an oilseed plant of great potential in biodiesel production. Fruits and seeds of plants grown in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest (AF) and in the semiarid climate of Caatinga (SA) were compared. Fruits from the SA were longer, wider and heavier than those from the AF. In contrast, the AF seeds were larger and heavier than the SA seeds. Soluble sugars, protein, relative water content and electrical conductivity of the SA seeds significantly exceeded that of the AF seeds by 28%, 23%, 32% and 94%, respectively. Seeds of the AF had a significantly greater percentage germination (17.5%) and needed less time to germinate (10%) than did the SA seeds. Shoot dry biomass of seedlings grown from the AF seeds significantly exceeded that of the SA by 18.5%. Results suggest this pattern may be due to the higher carbon storage (i.e. sugars, proteins and oil) in the AF than SA seeds. Further studies are warranted to verify whether the differences observed between the seed sources investigated in the present study could be due to varietal or biotype factors.

Photosynthesis and antioxidant activity in Jatropha curcas L. under salt stress

“…However, it is well-known that J. curcas is a drought-resistant plant (Zhang et al, 2007;Behera et al, 2010;Pompelli et al, 2010a), able to grow where most other crops cannot survive (Openshaw, 2000;Reubens et al, 2011). Its seeds contain 25 to 32% oil (Pompelli et al, 2010b), with yields of 1.5 tons of oil per hectare after five years of growth (Openshaw, 2000;Tiwari et al, 2007;King et al, 2009). Furthermore, J. curcas is well-adjusted to semiarid climate, although more humid environmental conditions result in better crop performance (Foidl et al, 1996;Openshaw, 2000;Tiwari et al, 2007;Maes et al, 2009;Achten et al, 2010;Behera et al, 2010;Pompelli et al, 2010a;Reubens et al, 2011).…”

“…This is the case of the Brazilian Northeastern semiarid Caatinga region (Pompelli et al, 2010b), where rainfall does not supply the water demands of most crops (300 to 1,200 mm y -1 ). About 28% of all soils in Northeastern semiarid are affected by salts (Goes, 1978), and where the soil salt content is naturally high, the rainfall is unusually insufficient to leach the salt excess (Goes, 1978).…”

Storage, size and vigor of ‘Esther’ avocado seeds (Persea americana Mill.)

“…Specifically, the conductivity increases more modestly for large-sized seeds compared to small-sized seeds (p<0.01); no significant differences were observed between large-sized seeds and medium-sized seeds ( Figure 1A). In other woody species such as Jatropha curcas and Acacia mangium, small seeds showed the highest electrolyte leakage (Pompelli et al, 2010 andDe Oliveira, et al, 2016). Moreover, the conductivity increases more modestly for seeds aged 10 d than for seeds aged 30 d (p<0.05) and seeds aged 100 d (p<0.01); no significant differences were observed between seeds aged 30 d and seeds aged 100 d ( Figure 1B).…”

Effects of pre-sowing treatments on Jatropha curcas seed germination and seedling growth

“…High variability of seed germination has been recorded as influenced by the observed genotype (cultivar, seedling or population), time after harvest and storage conditions, environmental characteristics of plant growing, pre-sowing and after-sowing treatments (temperature and water potential of seed tissues and substrates) (Islam et al, 2009;Pompelli et al, 2010;Windauer et al, 2012;Duong et al, 2013;MoncaleanoEscandon et al, 2013). Some authors report on a loss of seed viability and germinability after medium and long term storage (Duong et al, 2013;Moncaleano-Escandon et al, 2013), while others suppose that the presence of seed coat, may be the responsible of a physical dormancy, and furthermore generates the need to remove this inhibition by pre-sowing treatments (Baskin and Baskin, 1998;Islam et al, 2009;Windauer et al, 2011).…”

“…In the last decades, J. curcas has become popular thanks to its wide capabilities and plethora of uses, including biodiesel production, which are the cause of an increasing of hectares of J. curcas yearly planted at global level (Fairless, 2007;Kant and Wu, 2011). J. curcas seeds contain about 25 to 35% or more of oil (Freitas et al, 2011;Verma and Verma, 2014), which can be extracted and used as lighting and cooking fuel, to manufacture soap, medicine or biopesticide and, after further chemical treatments, to produce biodiesel, a renewable energy source alternative to conventional petrodiesel (Martínez-Herrera et al, 2006;Pompelli et al, 2010;Contran et al, 2013;Sunil et al, 2013;Sushma, 2014). Besides the economic value derived from J. curcas oil and its derived products, J. curcas strength as a crop derives from its potential *Corresponding author: E-mail: niclacontran@hotmail.com, Tel: +39079229238.…”