Attempted Cultivation of Jatropha curcas L. in the Lower Senegal River Valley: Story of a Failure

With the objective of determining whether it would be possible to sustainably produce Jatropha curcas L. seeds on the marginal land situated close to the Senegal River, a 6-hectare pilot plantation was cultivated under drip irrigation between September 2007-November 2011, close to the village of Bokhol (Lat. 16°31'N, Long. 15°23'W). A series of tests were conducted on this plot, in order to identify the best cultivation methods for the area (date, density and method of planting, appropriate type of pruning, fertilisers to be applied, irrigation method, etc.). The average yields obtained at this site, after four years of cultivation (less than 500 kg.ha-1 of dry seed), using the best known production techniques, are significantly lower than anticipated, compared to the available figures for the irrigated cultivation of Jatropha in other parts of the world. The main causes of this failure are the plant's limited useful vegetation period of six months per year, instead of twelve, and the scale of attacks by a soilborne vascular disease, which destroyed over 60% of the plantation within four years

Principal Disease and Insect Pests of Jatropha curcas L. in the Lower Valley of the Senegal River

Jatropha curcas L. seed oil is proven to be toxic to many microorganisms, insects and animals. Despite its toxicity, Jatropha is not pest and disease resistant. The following major pests and diseases affecting Jatropha in the lower valley of the Senegal river have been identified: the leaf miner Stomphastis thraustica (Meyrick, 1908) (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae), the leaf and stem miner Pempelia morosalis (Saalmuller, 1880) (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) and the shield-backed bug Calidea panaethiopica (Kirkaldy, 1909) (Heteroptera, Scutelleridae), which can cause flower and fruit abortion. Damage from these pests was particularly great during the second year after the plantations were set up (2009) and before later receding. Nevertheless, the worst attacks were caused by a vascular disease transmitted through the soil, which killed 65% of the plants in four years. It is mainly characterised by collar and root rot, which causes foliage to yellow and wilt, before the plant eventually dies. These threats should increase if larger areas are planted with Jatropha. Considering the scale of the damage caused by these attacks in Bokhol, the development of an integrated pest management programme adapted to the local context should be considered