Influence of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization on the characteristics of seeds of Jatropha

Abstract

Agronomic information on the cultivation of Jatropha plants (Jatropha curcas L.) in the field is still uncommon in the literature, especially under conditions of water and nutritional stress. Thus, this field study aimed to evaluate the effects of irrigation depths (735; 963; 1,191; 1,418 and 1,646 mm) and nitrogen fertilization (0; 25; 50 and 75 kg ha-1) on the characteristics of seeds of Jatropha. Nitrogen fertilization did not influence the production components of Jatropha. The seeds have an elongated aspect, where the length is always greater than the width and thickness. The highest values of seed thickness obtained in plants under the lowest irrigation depth. Plants under the highest irrigation depth showed the highest values of seed length, total number of seeds per plant and productivity of seeds.