Allometric models for the estimation of above- and below-ground biomass of Jatropha curcas L. in semi-arid regions of Southern India

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 531-537
Author(s):  
G. R. Rao ◽  
J. V. N. S. Prasad ◽  
B. M. K. Raju ◽  
P. Sathi Reddy ◽  
P. Sharath Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Jatropha Curcas ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Southern India ◽  
Allometric Models ◽  
Jatropha Curcas L ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Semi Arid

scholarly journals Extreme rainfall deficits were not the cause of recurring colonial era famines of southern Indian semi-arid regions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranjini Ray ◽  
Atreyee Bhattacharya ◽  
Gaurav Arora ◽  
Kushank Bajaj ◽  
Keyle Horton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arid Regions ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Extreme Rainfall ◽  
Southern India ◽  
Colonial Era ◽  
Regional Rainfall ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Rainfall Deficits

AbstractUsing information contained in the eighteenth to twentieth century British administrative documents, preserved in the National Archives of India (NAI), we present a 218-year (1729–1947 AD) record of socioeconomic disruptions and human impacts (famines) associated with ‘rain failures’ that affected the semi-arid regions (SARs) of southern India. By mapping the southern Indian famine record onto long-term spatiotemporal measures of regional rainfall variability, we demonstrate that the SARs of southern India repeatedly experienced famines when annual rainfall reduced by ~ one standard deviation (1 SD), or more, from long-term averages. In other words, ‘rain failures’ listed in the colonial documents as causes of extreme socioeconomic disruptions, food shortages and human distress (famines) in the southern Indian SARs were fluctuations in precipitation well within the normal range of regional rainfall variability and not extreme rainfall deficits (≥ 3 SD). Our study demonstrates that extreme climate events were not necessary conditions for extreme socioeconomic disruptions and human impacts rendered by the colonial era famines in peninsular India. Based on our findings, we suggest that climate change risk assessement should consider the potential impacts of more frequent low-level anomalies (e.g. 1 SD) in drought prone semi-arid regions.

scholarly journals Use of Carbonized Fallen Leaves of Jatropha Curcas L. as a Soil Conditioner for Acidic and Undernourished Soil

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takafumi Konaka ◽  
Shin Yabuta ◽  
Charles Mazereku ◽  
Yoshinobu Kawamitsu ◽  
Hisashi Tsujimoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Jatropha Curcas ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Total Leaf Area ◽  
Soil Conditioner ◽  
Jatropha Curcas L ◽  
Swiss Chard ◽  
Fallen Leaves

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) represents a renewable bioenergy source in arid regions, where it is used to produce not only biodiesel from the seed oil, but also various non-oil biomass products, such as fertilizer, from the seed cake following oil extraction from the seeds. Jatropha plants also generate large amounts of fallen leaves during the cold or drought season, but few studies have examined the utilization of this litter biomass. Therefore, in this study, we produced biochar from the fallen leaves of jatropha using a simple and economical carbonizer that was constructed from a standard 200 L oil drum, which would be suitable for use in rural communities, and evaluated the use of the generated biochar as a soil conditioner for the cultivation of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla “Fordhook Giant”) as a model vegetable in an acidic and undernourished soil in Botswana. Biochar application improved several growth parameters of Swiss chard, such as the total leaf area. In addition, the dry weights of the harvested shoots were 1.57, 1.88, and 2.32 fold higher in plants grown in soils containing 3%, 5%, and 10% biochar, respectively, compared with non-applied soil, suggesting that the amount of biochar applied to the soil was positively correlated with yield. Together, these observations suggest that jatropha fallen leaf biochar could function as a soil conditioner to enhance crop productivity.

scholarly journals Allometric models for above and below-ground biomass of wild Musa stands in tropical semi evergreen forests

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. e01208
Author(s):  
Sabina Yasmin Laskar ◽  
Gudeta Weldesemayat Sileshi ◽  
Arun Jyoti Nath ◽  
Ashesh Kumar Das
Keyword(s):  
Allometric Models ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Below Ground

scholarly journals Water Stress Limits Growth and Physiological Performance of Jatropha curcas L. Seedlings

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-53
Author(s):  
Bassirou Sine ◽  
Bassiaka Ouattara ◽  
Diariétou Sambakhé ◽  
Alassane Waly Ngom ◽  
Aïda Ndiaye
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Stomatal Conductance ◽  
Plant Height ◽  
Jatropha Curcas ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Leaf Temperature ◽  
Arid Zones ◽  
Jatropha Curcas L ◽  
Collar Diameter ◽  
Semi Arid

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is a potential biodiesel plant that gained much attention in non-oil production countries. We investigated the ability of the species to cope with water deficit occurring in semi-arid zones like Senegal climatic conditions. The layout of the experiment was a randomized complete blocks design with two factors (level and frequency of irrigation) and 6 repetitions. The trial was conducted from December 2012 to June 2013 in CERAAS/ISRA at Thiès, Senegal. Potted Jatropha seedlings were exposed, after three months under similar well-watered conditions, to three water regimes (100%, 50% and 25% of field capacity, respectively C100, C50 and C25) and two frequency of watering once and twice watering a week(F1 and F2, respectively). The different treatments didn’t affect significantly collar diameter and plant height during the time of the experimentation. Nevertheless, the trend line is up for collar diameter and plant height in well-watered plants. For the same frequency of irrigation, biomass accumulated was high in C100. No difference was found between plants biomass in C25-F1 and C25-F2. For physiological parameters, there are no differences between the treatments at the onset of stress. However, after 2 weeks of stress, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration were affected permanently in treatments C100-F1, C50-F1 and C25-F1 and their values never reached those of plants of C100-F2, 50-F2 and C25-F2. The opposite was noted for leaf temperature. For the same frequency of irrigation, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration were higher in C100 and the opposite occurred for the leaf temperature. These results demonstrate that growth and productivity of Jatropha are significantly affected by water stress conditions. Its need to be watered regularly to maintain physiological functions and biomass production definitely highlights that its growth in semi-arid zones is economically unlikely.

scholarly journals Morphophysiological profile of Jatropha curcas L. fruits and seeds maturation

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 3615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiane Dantas de Brito ◽  
Marta Bruno Loureiro ◽  
Aliomar Pacheco de Souza Junior ◽  
Luzimar Gonzaga Fernandez ◽  
Renato Delmondez de Castro
Keyword(s):  
Jatropha Curcas ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Biodiesel Production ◽  
Dry Matter Accumulation ◽  
Harvest Time ◽  
Water Restriction ◽  
Physiological Profile ◽  
Jatropha Curcas L

Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae), known as physic nut, is an oil seed species suitable as feedstock for biodiesel production, among other possible industrial applications. It is also considered tolerant to water restriction and is thus suitable for cultivation in semi-arid regions. However, the lack of uniformity in fructification and seed maturation hinders the harvest and processing of fruits and seeds and the yields from both oil and seed, as well as obtaining seed lots with good physiological qualities as propagule. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterise the physiological profile during the development and maturation of J. curcas seeds and to identify the best time to harvest the fruits and seeds based on morphological and physiological aspects. Fruit and seed development was monitored and the fruits were harvested at the end of the maturation phase. Then, they were visually classified in six distinct stages of maturation based on the size and colour of the exocarp, whereas the seeds were classified into 13 distinct stages based on the appearance of the fruit and colour of the tegument. The overall analysis of the parameters indicated that the best harvest time was when the fruits were brown and brown-dry and the seeds presented maximum dry matter accumulation, lower moisture content, the highest germination and vigour, higher lipid content and stable length and width dimensions. Whereas these parameters are related to physiological maturation in J. curcas seeds.

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