Preliminary Evaluation of Nursery and Early Field Propagation Practices for Jatropha curcas L. at Owerri, Nigeria.

Jatropha curcas dubbed ‘the best source of biofuel production among the various plant - based fuel resources the world over’ is reputed to yield substantial quantity of seed oil which can be converted to biodiesel without refining. Though the Jatropha plant is found growing in semi arid, arid and tropical environments, around farms and compounds and often used as fence especially in Northern Nigeria, not much has been done to enhance its large scale production to ensure sustained availability. The Federal University of Technology, Owerri has keyed into the Jatropha initiative through its Centre for Agricultural Research. About 2 hectares of this plant have been successfully established in the University farm sourced from different locations (Ilorin, and Lafiagi in Kwara State and Mokwa in Niger State), all in Nigeria. So far, some nursery practices have been developed for this crop including the avoidance of heavy shades and seed dressing with Apron Star 42 WS® (20% Thiamethoxam + 20% Metalaxyl-M + 2% Difenoconazol). Field trials are currently going on to monitor the performance of the seedlings in the field.Key words: Jatropha, Nursery, Field Establishment, CAR, FU