Provenance variation in seed and seedlings attributes of Jatropha curcas Linn. in South Western Nigeria

Abstract

Provenance variation in seed and seedling attributes of Jatropha curcas Linn was investigate within South-Western Nigeria (Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, Oyo and Osun) with different climatic conditions. Germinated seedlings and cuttings were grown in top soil and sub-soil for Sixteen (16 weeks). The growth parameters measured included lateral branch length, number of leaves, and biomass. Analysis of variance showed that there was no significant (p>0.05) difference among the germination of seeds collected from all the provenances. Ondo provenance (S1L) had the highest germination percentage (62%) followed by Ekiti provenance 99(53%) while the least provenance was Oyo (32%). Significant differences were observed on all the parameters measured among the provenances (p < 0.05). Seedlings and stem cuttings from Ondo (S1L) and Ekiti recorded the best performance when grown on top soil. S1L had the highest mean leaf numbers (13), mean leaf area (48.40 cm2) and biomass (3.25 g/month). For stem cutting, S1L also had the highest mean for the lateral branch length (23.5 cm) and number of leaves (54), followed by S3L with 16.5 in term of branch length. Ondo (S1L) and Ekiti Provenance (S3L) seem to be superior to other provenances in the characters studied. The result showed the importance of adequate soil nutrient composition and good soil physical properties for improved growth performance of seedlings and stem cuttings of Jatropha curcas.