Biology and genetic improvement of Jatropha curcas L.: A review

Bio-diesel is a fast-developing alternative fuel in many developed and developing countries of the world. The bio-diesel production from vegetable oils during 2004-2005 was estimated 2.36 million tonnes globally. Of this, EU countries accounted for about 82% and USA about 6%. Global bio-diesel production is set to reach some 24 billion litres by 2017. Shortage of edible oil for human consumption in developing countries does not favour its use for bio-diesel production. Hence non-edible oil from crops like Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) and Pongamia (Pongamia pinnata) is favoured for bio-diesel production and the trend is expected to continue. Especially J. curcas has gained attention in tropical and sub-tropical countries and has spread beyond its centre of origin, because of its hardiness, easy propagation, drought endurance, high oil content, rapid growth, adaptation to wide agro-climatic conditions, and multiple uses of plant as a whole. The full potential of J. curcas has not been realized due to several technological and economic reasons. One of the major reasons is the lack of high yielding varieties with high oil content. In this review, we attempt to discuss the currently available information on Jatropha species identity, taxonomy and description, distribution and ecological requirements of the species, possibilities of exploitation of genetic potentiality, exploitation of existing diversity for yield and oil content by direct selection, hybridization and creation of diversity by mutation, and biotechnological interventions.Jatropha curcas Floral biology Genetic improvement

Private Sector Partnering on Crops for the Poorest of the Poor

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has a mandate to improve the livelihoods of the poor in the semiarid tropical (SAT) regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, which is home to 550 million poor people. Sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut are the staple food crops in the SAT, often grown on marginal lands with poor soil fertility and erratic rainfall. Dryland farmers are physically, economically and politically vulnerable and need to be empowered to enhance their income and livelihoods. Seed-based technologies (high-yielding and adapted cultivars) are the cheapest and easiest to be adopted by poor farmers, and often serve as catalysts for adoption of inputs such as fertiliser, pesticides and good crop management practices. ICRISAT partners with public- and private-sector institutions to ensure that seeds of improved varieties and hybrids are available to poor farmers at an affordable price and at the right time and place. As a public-sector institution, ICRISAT develops improved varieties and hybrid parents. Privatesector (PS) partners test, multiply and market promising hybrids through their well-established market linkages in the rural areas. ICRISAT has partnered with more than 50 seed companies in India, Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico and Brazil through a novel consortium approach to deliver its research products (improved hybrids and varieties) to poor farmers through public–private partnerships. Some PS partners, who have their own research programs, also benefit by accessing prerelease breeding material. This approach exploits complementary expertise and resources, and generates synergies between international agricultural research centres (IARCs) and the PS in development and marketing seed of improved cultivars, without compromising the global research agenda in delivering international public goods (IPGs)