African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6860

Full Length Research Paper

Irrigation history and pruning effect on growth and yield of jatropha on a plantation in southeastern Brazil

Otavio Neto Almeida Santos
  • Otavio Neto Almeida Santos
  • Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11 P. O. Box 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Marcos Vinícius Folegatti
  • Marcos Vinícius Folegatti
  • Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11 P. O. Box 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Bruno Patias Lena
  • Bruno Patias Lena
  • Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11 P. O. Box 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Jefferson Vieira Jose
  • Jefferson Vieira Jose
  • Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11 P. O. Box 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Eder Duarte Fanaya Júnior
  • Eder Duarte Fanaya Júnior
  • Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11 P. O. Box 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Joao Paulo Francisco
  • Joao Paulo Francisco
  • Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11 P. O. Box 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Irineu Pedro de Sousa Andrade
  • Irineu Pedro de Sousa Andrade
  • Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11 P. O. Box 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Renata Alcarde Sermarini
  • Renata Alcarde Sermarini
  • Department of Exact Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11 P. O. Box 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
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  •  Received: 11 September 2016
  •  Accepted: 08 November 2016
  •  Published: 15 December 2016

Abstract

Jatropha is an oilseed culture that has been highlighted due some specific agronomic aspects. This plant produces high oil quantities in its seeds that is used for biodiesel production. One of the major challenges regarding to the Jatropha cultivation is the lack of information on many management techniques, especially the irrigation and pruning management in adult plants in southeastern Brazil. The objective of this study was to study the combined effect of irrigation history and different pruning on Jatropha plant growth and yield. The experiment was conducted during the 4th year of Jatropha growing season at University of Sao Paulo experimental area in Piracicaba, Brazil. The experiment was arranged in randomized block with four replications and treatments were considered the pruning type: No pruning (P1), pruning at 1.5 m high and 2 m canopy diameter (P2), pruning at 2 m high and 2 m canopy diameter (P3). In addition, two water conditions were also evaluated: Irrigated (I) and rainfed conditions (R). Plant growth (height and canopy diameter) and leaf area index (LAI) were evaluated monthly and productive variables were determined at the end of the experiment. Irrigation history influenced canopy diameter, absolute growth rates for plant height and canopy diameter, the relative growth rate for canopy diameter, and all productive variables. Pruning provided differences in all growth variables, where P2 presented the highest average on plant growth rates. The plants under irrigation history conditions showed the highest yield.
 
Key words: Jatropha curcas L., oilseeds, center pivot, water management, biofuels.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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