Analysis of Nursery Techniques with Various Propagules of Jatropha Curcas (L), a Biofuel Plant Species

Abstract

Nursery experiments were conducted on the various identified propagative parts of Jatropha curcas during the wet season. The aim was to affirm the rightful propagules for propagation and multiplication purpose most suitable for the plant species. Two major propagules were used in the experiments, consisting 4 treatments. These are seeds in the sexual propagation process as Treatment A; and the vegetative parts which comprised the upper stem/tip stem-cuttings (Treatment B), the middle stem/cane stem-cuttings (Treatment C), and the lower stem/the caudex (pluralized as caudices/caudexes-Treatment D) in the asexual propagation process. Ten filled polypots were used for each treatment, with ordinary top soil as potting mixture, having 5 replicates. It was laid in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD). At the end of the experimental period, results indicated 90% germination on treatments A, while B had nil sprouting, but C and D 10% each. Significant difference exists between Treatment A and other treatments, and at 0.05 level of significance, 3DF for treatment and 16DF for error/residual; F calculated was 23.46, while F tabulated was 3.24. Mean separation with LSD also showed highly significant difference between Treatments A, B, C, and D, but no significant difference between Treatments B, C, and D with each other. It was however established that Jatropha propagation through seeds is best over cuttings economically.