Jatropha curcas (L.) seed yields as impacted by pruning intensity and intercropping

ABSTRACT

It was observed that in all the test years from 2008 to 2012, the Utnoor genotype of Jatropha was found to have the highest yield, followed by the Jabua and Raipur genotypes. In this Utnoor genotype, pruning from ground level, which gave the best yields from 2008 to 2012, was 45 cm. For pruning of primary branches, 66% in Utnoor performed better. Jabua, which recorded the second highest yield, showed 30 cm pruning from ground level as the best along with 66% primary branch pruning, while in Raipur pruning at 45 cm from ground level was proved to be the best along with 33% pruning of primary branches. Therefore, the overall results showed that Utnoor gave the best yield, followed by Jabua and Raipur. The prunings from ground level and for primary branches depend upon the specific genotype for obtaining the highest yield. The highest red gram intercropped yields were observed in the highest yielding Jatropha genotype, viz. Utnoor.

KEYWORDS:

• Jatropha curcas
• red gram
• intercropping
• ground level pruning
• primary branch pruning

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the NOVODB for a financial grant provided under the ‘National Network on Integrated development of Jatropha & Pongamia’ project, and to the Director of CRIDA for extending all the facilities to conduct the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Oilseeds and Vegetable Oil Development Board [grant number EF 006].