Abstract

A trial was conducted to study the effect of female and male flower ratio per bunch on seed yield of Jatropha. The plants are randomly selected from five year old Jatropha plantation available at All India Co-ordinated Research Network Project on Under Utilized Crops, Center for Crop Improvement, S.D. Agricultural University, Sardar krushinagar. Its seed yield of Jatropha is unstable as it is depending on expression of female flower. The ratio of female and male flower in a bunch is variable 1:16 to 1:33. The flowering was started from first week of July and was continued up to second week of January with its peak period during August and September. Average number of bunches per plant and capsules per plant were higher in kharif 2007 as compared to kharif 2008. The seed yield per plant was drastically reduced in kharif 2008 (14.70) as more male flower were recorded in a bunch in compare to female flower. The water stress and high temperature during the flowering period leads to more number of male flowers. In kharif 2008, seed setting was very poor uneven distribution and low rain fall. The opening of female and male flowers and pollination depends on different factors as atmospheric temperature, soil fertility and availability of soil moisture and age of plant.

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