Preliminary Effects of Pruning on Oil Yield Production of Six Jatropha Curcas L. Accessions

Abstract

A preliminary evaluation of pruning treatment effects on oil yield production of six Jatropha curcas L. accessions was conducted. The objectives of this research were, to study the effects of pruning on number of seeds, to identify the effects of pruning on oil yield production and to determine the best accessions among six Jatropha curcas L. accessions for breeding program. Pruning treatment was carried out on one year old plants of six Jatropha curcas L. accessions collected from various locations in Peninsular Malaysia. For this experiment, a split-plot design with three replications was used, where the main plot was pruning and non-pruning treatment and the sub-plot was accessions. Findings from this study revealed no effects of pruning as compared to non-pruning tree in all the growth and yield character. Observation was made for seven months after pruning. The ANOVA results showed that variation among accessions was not consistent in individual recording month for number for growth and yields and yield component character. Accession 1, (V1) and accession 5 (V5) is the best performer after pruning on numbers of seeds, oil to seed ratio and oil yield. Thus, it was potential accession for the selection in future breeding program.