Variability of Jatropha macrocarpa Grisebach (Euphorbiaceae) accessions seeds.

Abstract

Jatropha macrocarpa, is a succulent tree which builds up oil in the seeds at a rate of 36% of the dry weight. Grow in areas with 900 mm annually water deficit and absolute minimum temperatures of -7°C. These features enable you to boast about his fitness as bioenergy oilseed crop for arid environments. The objective of the study was to detect variability in seeds traits of differentgeographical origins.The fruits were harvested during March and April 2012 in pre-dehiscence in eleven places of natural distribution in the Arid Chaco, obtaining measures of color, mass and its distribution, size, and dry matter of seeds. These show considerable variation in some of the evaluated characteristics, that allow to associate the accessions to different geographical areas characterized bybelonging to three separate topography elements, variables with greater discriminating power are the color, the size, mass and lesser extent the proportions of dry matter. Found variability may be due to genetic or environmental differences.