Experiences with Jatropha cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons for the next phase of development

Jatropha curcas L. has emerged in recent times as a leading energy crop in sub-Saharan Africa with over 32 countries in the region involved in its production. The establishment of Jatropha has not been without challenges and has arguably been driven by crop-suitability factors that have been put to test in the last decade. The objective of this paper is to provide an analysis of the performance of Jatropha as an energy crop, benchmarking on the plant's acclaimed attributes. The paper analyses information originating from sub-Saharan Africa and examines the performance of the crop. The results show that current agronomic practices and performance levels of Jatropha in terms of seed yield (< 1 t/ha−1) are inadequate and unlikely to lead to production of sufficient quantities of seed for biodiesel production. Not enough has been done in the region in terms of research and use of information extrapolated from other environments has not been adequate. The conclusion is that much work still needs to be done in terms of developing suitable germplasm and agronomic practices for Jatropha.