Harvest date modifies seed quality and oil composition of Jatropha curcas growth under subtropical conditions in Argentina

Abstract

Harvest date modifies seed quality and oil composition of Jatropha curcas growth under subtropical conditions in Argentina. (2016) Industrial Crops and Products, 94. 318-326.

Productivity and Oil Content in Relation to Jatropha Fruit Ripening under Tropical Dry-Forest Conditions

“…Nevertheless, Silva et al [14] had associated the jatropha fruit color with the oil content and germination power of seeds. The oil contents from jatropha INIAP accessions is comparable with the values reported by Wassner et al [13] in Argentina, under subtropical conditions and precipitation of 1005 mm year −1 , with a maximum seed oil content of 38.7% ± 0.6% and a minimum of 19.6% ± 1.8%. Wani et al [37] for Jammu and Kashmir State in Northwest India obtained an oil concentration from 27.8% to 37.9%.…”

“…A bilinear relationship for oil content and seed weight was observed in the present study, even though the coefficient of determination was not high. Better adjustment of the bilinear relationship between these variables was reported by Wassner et al [13], where the harvest time was at the mottled-yellow color stage, characteristic of ripe fruit. In both studies the bilinear relationship showed similar trends, but the break point, where the linear relationship between oil content and seed weight changes in slope, was 58.8 g in our study, while in the subtropical zones of Argentina, the break point was at 62.5 g [13].…”

“…This means that, for oil content in the Ecuadorian jatropha accessions, the genotype and collection date of fruits under tropical dry forest conditions are not relevant. Under subtropical conditions, the harvest timing is as relevant as the jatropha genotypic selection [13].…”

“…Rondanini et al [34] emphasized the need to determine how temperature during seed filling could affect several characteristics of jatropha fruit. Not only the fruit ripening stage influences seed weight; the environmental conditions throughout the various fruit ripening stages also do so, and for this reason, a broad variation in seed weight (from 32.6 g to 75.2 g) was found in Argentina [13]. Seed weights found in our study are similar to those obtained in the province of Andhra Pradesh, India by Rao et al [16] in accessions CRDJ1 (77.4 g), CRDJ20 (78.3 g) and CRDJ6 (79.1 g).…”

“…Moreover, jatropha oil content in seeds is known to vary between 40% to 60%, with protein content varying from 10% to 30% (although it is not usable due to the presence of phrobol ester and curcin contents) [12]. Jatropha fruits show different maturity degrees within the same tree as a result of a continuous fructification process [13]. Since physiological changes occur during the maturation stages [14], harvesting the fruits at an adequate maturation stage is an important factor determining seed quality and oil content.…”