Agricultural Aspects: Phytomorphology, Cultivation Technology and Harvesting
摘要
The Chapter “Agricultural Aspects: Botanical Description, Cultivation Technology, and Harvesting,” Jatropha, a flexible energy crop, is described physically and botanically. This chapter covers agronomic aspects, such as plant growth, identification, blooms, fruits, seeds, and methods. Jatropha is cultivated throughout tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia. The 50-year-old plant grows 3–10 m and yields 4–7 kg of seeds. Ovoid fruits grow in Jatropha's female leaf-axil inflorescences. Monoecious plants require honey bees to pollinate rare hermaphroditic flowers. The fruit exocarp dries to reveal three bivalve follicles containing ripe seeds three to four months after blooming. This chapter also explores intercropping Jatropha with other plants for a lucrative, sustainable, and socially acceptable agroforestry system. Plants need pruning, and specialist methods may increase fruit and seed growth. Bioinsecticides and aphid control are examined. Manual and automated Jatropha fruit, seed harvesting, and post-harvest processing for oil extraction and nutritional analysis finish the chapter.