Water-use efficiency of Jatropha curcas in Madagascar - EN-BW Stiftung 2008-2011

The influence of growing crops for energy on the local water availabilty is increasingly subject of public discussion. Growing Jatropha on areas that do not compete with local food production is assumed to have a positive influence on soil fertility of those areas.  However, little is known of the effects of Jatropha cultivation on the water balance of the cropping system. Rendering the production of Jatropha sustainable, thus, requires solid information on the relationship between biomass production, yield and water use. In the project the relevant parameters of the local water balance will studied in a 3 year field trial in Madagascar. This study will produce solid figures regarding this central aspect of Jatropha production and will allow developing management stragtegies for optimal water use and selection of optimally adapted genotypes.

PhD

Arisoa Rajaona
"Physiological and growth responses of Jatropha curcas L. to water, nitrogen, and salt stress" - PhD Thesis, Universität Hohenheim, 2011

MSc

"The potential for irrigating Jatropha curcas with waste water"
Master of Science Thesis, Nele Sutterer [Germany]

BSc

"Bewertung der Salztoleranz von Jatropha curcas."
Bachelor of Science Thesis, Christina Seckinger [Germany]

Link to project website

Link to sub-project leader - Water stress management - University of Hohenheim

Publications

Paper

Rajaona, A.M.; Sutterer, N.; Asch, F., 2012
Potential of Waste Water Use for Jatropha Cultivation in Arid Environments. Agriculture 2012, 2, 376-392.

Rajaona, A.M., Brueck, H., Asch, F. 2013
Leaf gas exchange characteristics of Jatropha as affected by nitrogen supply, leaf age, and atmospheric vapour pressure deficit. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 199, 144-153.

Rajaona, A.M., Brueck, H., Seckinger, C., Asch, F. 2012
Effect of salinity on canopy water vapor conductance of young and 3-year old Jatropha curcas L. Journal of Arid Environments 87, 35-41

Rajaona, A., Brueck, H., Asch, F., 2011
Effect of pruning history on growth and dry mass partitioning of Jatropha curcas L. on a plantation site in Madagascar. Biomass and Bioenergy 35, 4892-4900.

Contribution to the debate "Food vs. Fuel" - JARTS 110

Poster

Rajaona, A., Asch, F., Brueck, H., 2010. "Response of leaf area and biomass partitionning of Physic nut to variable water supply". Tropentag 2010, Zürich 14-16, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland

Rajaona, A., Asch, F., Brueck, H., 2010. "Leaf age effects on intrinsic water-use efficiency of Jatropha curcas". Agro 2010 - the XIth ESA Congress, Montpellier. Proceedings

Rajaona, A., Brueck, H., Asch, F., 2009. "Description of the spatial arrangement of Jatropha curcas L. root system. A case study from Madagascar" Tropentag 2009, October 6-8, University of Hamburg, Hamburg.

Talks

Potential für Bioenergieproduktion auf degradierten Flächen - ein Beispiel aus Madagascar.  Sympossium II Montpellier - Hohenheim: Agro-Biodiversität im Konflikt zwischen Nahrungsmittel- und Energiesicherheit. Agropolis Montpellier 6. Nov. 2008