Cultivation Of Jatropha Curcas Research Articles

Effectiveness of <i>Jatropha curcas</i> as Biodiesel and Antiviral: A Review

Jatropha curcas has emerged as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production due to its non-edible nature, high oil content, and adaptability to marginal lands. This review provides an overview of the advantages and challenges associated with Jatropha curcas as a biodiesel source. The non-edible nature of Jatropha curcas makes it an attractive option for biofuel production, as it does not compete with food crops, minimizing concerns about food security. The seeds of Jatropha curcas contain a significant amount of oil, ranging from 30% to 40%, making it a suitable feedstock for biodiesel production. Jatropha curcas exhibits adaptability to harsh environments and can grow on marginal lands unsuitable for food crops. It requires low water and nutrient inputs, making it a potential solution for areas where other crops struggle to thrive. Furthermore, the cultivation of Jatropha curcas can provide economic opportunities, especially in rural areas, contributing to rural development and income generation for farmers. However, there are challenges that need to be addressed for the successful commercialization of Jatropha curcas as a biodiesel feedstock.

Habitat shifts of Jatropha curcas L. in the Asia-Pacific region under climate change scenarios

The cultivation of Jatropha curcas L. is important for alleviating the global energy crisis and improving the livelihoods of people in rural areas of developing countries. We hypothesized that the responses of Jatropha curcas L. to climate change would vary among latitudes. A species distribution model was used to illustrate the effects of climate change on habitats of Jatropha curcas L. in the Asia-Pacific region under various shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) during 2021–2060. The high- and medium-suitability areas obviously alternated in a stepwise manner near the borders of Jatropha habitats. Currently, the largest suitable habitats of Jatropha appear at 4° S and 24° N. Under future scenarios, the suitable habitats of Jatropha decreased in the region between 15° N and 15° S. The habitat boundary of Jatropha in the Northern Hemisphere shifted northward by 95.89 km and 127.35 km during 2021–2040 and 2041–2060, respectively. Furthermore, the shift in suitable habitat for Jatropha in the Northern Hemisphere was more pronounced than that in the Southern Hemisphere. The island regions of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island countries should address the impact of climate change on biodiesel plant species by adopting different socioeconomic development paths and bioenergy strategies.

Resilience to shocks and food insecurity: Determinants, and the impact of smallholder jatropha curcas cultivation in Southern Malawi

This paper studied household resilience to food insecurity, its determinants, and the impact of shocks on welfare in Southern Malawi. The resilience concept is evolving. A crucial issue in scholarly and policy space is how it is measured. This paper proposed an aggregated index measure and empirically tested it to study determinants as well as the impact of jatropha cultivation on resilience to food insecurity. The study used a unique cross-sectional dataset of 298 smallholders which included 100 jatropha cultivating farmers, collected using purposive and random sampling strategies. The resilience index was a good predictor of household welfare. Empirical evidence showed that shocks, various capital assets and institutional factors were significant determinants of resilience to food security. Jatropha cultivating farmers had less resilience capacity to food insecurity than their counterparts. The study did not find any evidence to support the notion that jatropha cultivation significantly influenced resilience to food insecurity.

Jatropha – Potential of biomass steam processing to convert crop residues to bio-coal and thus triple the marketable energy output per unit plantation area

Jatropha curcas cultivation is being undertaken mainly for fuel oil production, but it also results in biomass residues such as fruit husks, seed shell, seed cake or kernel meal, together making up >80% of the dry fruit weight. Additionally, plant biomass from crop management is also generated. The various biomass residue fractions have gross energy contents ranging from 13 MJ/kg to over 18 MJ/kg. The conversion of these residues into marketable products would contribute to broadening the circumstances under which the jatropha crop is profitable. Biomass Steam Processing (BSP) is a steam assisted thermochemical conversion process, which aims to increase the energy density of lignocellulosic feedstock. Basically, during this process biomass is heated to a temperature of 250–400 °C in a steam atmosphere at atmospheric pressure. It converts biomass residues efficiently into bio-coal in a relatively short time period of about 1 h. In the current investigation, BSP was deployed to transform different potential jatropha crop and seed processing residues into marketable high quality bio-coal. The energy density of jatropha residues could be raised considerably, resulting in an estimated total marketable energy yield of 90 GJ per year per hectare of a 5-year-old jatropha plantation compared to a total yield of 30 GJ per year when jatropha oil alone is marketed, as currently practiced.

Establecimiento de cultivos bioenergéticos como fuente de energías alternativas, mediante el desarrollo de materiales de siembra en tres sitios de Costa Rica

En Costa Rica, como una alternativa al uso de hidrocarburos, se ha venido buscando el empleo de cultivos bionergéticos de los cuales se pueda hacer un mayor aprovechamiento de la biomasa producida y la obtención de aceite. Durante los últimos ocho años, un grupo de interdisciplinario de investigadores de las universidades estatales de Costa Rica, han venido realizando estudios sistemáticos sobre el cultivo de Jatropha curcas (Tempate) para su uso comercial como fuente de aceite para producir biodiesel y a la vez en el 2017 inició el trabajo con otras especies con potencial bioenergético en el país como higuerilla (Ricinus comunis) y coyol (Acrocomia aculeata), entre otras. La investigación que se llevó a cabo, cubre tres objetivos donde el primero tiene que ver con el establecimiento de cultivos de estas especies en diferentes zonas bioclimáticas del país, así como ensayos sistemáticos alternativos con (tempate, higuerilla y coyol), combinándolos con plantas que se utilizan para alimento humano y animal. El segundo objetivo está relacionado con ofrecer a largo plazo variedades más productivas y menos tóxicas del tempate (Jatropha curcas). Y el último objetivo tiene que ver con el proceso de transferencia de información y resultados obtenidos. La información obtenida permitirá ofrecer opciones a los agricultores que les ayude a minimizar el impacto del cambio climático en su actividad y contribuir a las metas que Costa Rica se ha propuesto para reducir la emisión de contaminantes al ambiente y mejorar la calidad de vida de la población costarricense.

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) based intercropping systems: An alternate land use for rehabilitation of degraded sodic lands

A field study was conducted to evaluate the performance of jatropha based intercropping model as an alternate land use for rehabilitation of degraded sodic lands. Cultivation of Jatropha curcas L. as monocropping has not been proven economically viable because of its late fruiting and poor yield. A small and resource poor farmer having sodic soils can't wait for at least five years to get income. Therefore, the present study was conducted to replace monoculture of jatropha with intercrops in between jatropha plantation in sodic soils to optimize land use efficiency. Study revealed that the plantation of jatropha at 3 m apart and inter- cultivation of sweet basil - matricaria cropping sequence for four years was highly economical than the planting at 3×2m spacing and other tested crop rotations. Soil physicochemical and biological properties in sweet basil - matricaria with jatropha L. as main crop were better than rest of the cropping sequences evaluated. Soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) was also higher with sweet basil-matricaria cropping sequence followed by sorghum wheat and maize-linseed. The study shows that inter cultivation of Jatropha in sodic soils encouraged biological activities in the rhizosphere. Inter-cultivation of medicinal and aromatic crops under Jatropha plantations for four years was found to be an alternate land use sequence to obtain higher income than the sole plantation of Jatropha in sodic soils. Soil health improvement due to intercropping can provide a better environment for cultivation of highly remunerative crops in future.

Evaluation of In Vitro Germination and Callus Induction for Antimicrobial Activities of Jatropha curcas L.

There are many problems related to seed germination and in vitro cultivation of Jatrophacurcas L, this research was to solve this obstacle. This study also aimed to use triphenyl tetrazoliumchloride (TTC) as a new substance for in vitro callus initiation and growth in plant tissue culture fieldsfor the first time. In addition, an efficient regeneration method via seed culture has been developed.For this purpose, different media (MS; B5; WPM with B5 vitamins; wetted cotton and water) were usedfor seed germination. High seed germination percentage for all treatments were achieved after 24days from incubation. WPM was effective medium in increasing the total length of seedlings. Themaximum dry weight (0.24 g) of Jatropha curcas shoots was recorded with B5 medium. In vitro shootformation, MS medium supplanted with 2.0 μM IBA +10 μM BA and MS medium+2.5 μM BA+2.5 μMNAA recorded the highest shoot formation percentage (100%) after one month. Concerning callusinduction, data implied that different growth regulators tested (TDZ, BA, KIN) and TTC as a newsubstance used in plant tissue culture could induce the formation of callus in cotyledons of J. curcasseedlings, furthermore, the combination of BA and Kin in various concentrations was an appropriatemedium for inducing the formation of callus and promoting its growth. Also, callus formation andgrowth were significantly affected by explant types. The balance between auxin and cytokinin is thelimited factor for callus induction. MS nutrient medium supplemented with 2,4-D or NAA or both helpedto form callus at high percentage. regarding antimicrobial activity, the antimicrobial potential ofdifferent plant extracts was screened against four pathogenic microorganisms and reference bacterialstrains, the ethanolic extract of the roots was found to show greater inhibition of B. cereus and E. coliwith zones of inhibition, 21.7 and 10.4 mm respectively, when comparing the extracts from in vivoplant and in vitro callus. Also, ethanol extract from the leaf of the mother plant showed higher inhibitoryzone than that of the leaf-derived callus against S. aureus, B. cereus and E. coli. On the other hand,butanol extract of hypocotyl-derived callus was achieved the highest fraction effect resulted fromdifferent fractionation of crude methanolic extract against antibacterial activity of E. coli, followed byethyl acetate- fraction (15.0 and 13.5 mm) respectively, in contrast, water- fraction came in the last.

Association and mycorrhizal dependency in Jatropha curcas L. seedlings under salt stress

ABSTRACT The cultivation of Jatropha curcas L. for biodiesel production is possible in salinized areas; however, biomass production is limited in these soils. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are a promising alternative for bioremediation in salinized soils. Yet, salinity also affects the AMF at the time of colonization and, in this case, the symbiosis is not always established. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the hypotheses that three AMF species commonly found in saline soils are associated with J. curcas and if seedlings previously inoculated with these AMF are more tolerant to salt stress. Two trials were performed: the first one was carried out in a completely randomized design with five treatments (control, Rhizophagus intraradices, Gigaspora albida, Claroideoglomus etunicatum, and the three species together) and six repetitions to investigate the formation of symbiosis among species; and the second trial was carried out in randomized blocks in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme (2, 5, 8, and 10 dS m-1, with and without mycorrhizae) with eight repetitions to verify the development and mycorrhizal dependency (MD) of the seedlings previously inoculated, in salinized environment. The three species of AMF are associated with J. curcas both alone and together. Mycorrhizal dependency increased with salinity, indicating that J. curcas is a facultative species. The pre-colonized seedlings with AMF are an alternative to the establishment of J. curcas in salinized soils.

Suitability of large scale Jatropha curcus cultivation in Edo State: a preliminary assessment using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method

The aim of this study is to assess the suitability of agro-ecological regions for Jatropha Curcas cultivation using GIS and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) tools. Rainfall amount and temperature data were collected from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Federal Ministry of Aviation, Oshodi, Lagos and Climate Prediction Centre of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for a period of 3 years (2010 - 2012). Rainfall amounts in Edo state ranges between 1400mm-1500mm in the south most part of the state and decreases to 1200mm-1350mm at the centre of the State and 1000mm-1200mm in the north. These values fall within the optimal range for Jatropha cultivation. There are six (6) to seven (7) months of moisture adequacy in Edo state usually from April/May – September/October. Within this period, there is adequate moisture supply to satisfy the consumptive needs of Jatrophacultivation during its vegetative and flowering/fruiting stages. There are two rainfall peaks in Edo state namely May/June and September/October which guarantees two-times planting seasons, namely April planting season prior to the first rainfall peak in May/June and July/August planting season before the last rainfall peak (September/October). Runoff peaks in Edo state occur between September and October. Within this period soils are at field capacity and not suitable for onset of Jatropha cultivation. Analysis of slope conditions in Edo state showed that vast expanse of land in the state may be categorized as highly suitable with small patches of moderately suitable locations in the north. Soil condition in Edo state showed marginally suitable for soils in the mangrove region, southernmost part of the state and moderately suitable for hydromorphic soils of the Owena Basin west of the State. Finally, the result of multi-criteria analysis showed that Edo state can be grouped into two main classes of suitability namely; moderately and highly.Keywords: Jatropha Curcas, Energy production, Climatic factors, moisture storage, Soil condition

Pre-colonized seedlings with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: an alternative for the cultivation of Jatropha curcas L. in salinized soils

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that Jatropha curcas L. seedlings previously inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in non-salinized soil and later transplanted to salinized soil are more tolerant to saline stress. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse using a randomized block design in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme. The first factor consisted of salinized soil with electrical conductivity (EC) of 2, 5, 8 and 10 dS/m, and the second consisted of non-colonized plants, and plants that were pre-colonized with AMF, with eight replicates. Salt had a deleterious effect on plants non-inoculated with AMF, which showed reduced growth and photosynthetic activity and increased stress indicators, such as lipid peroxidation, proline accumulation, and high antioxidant enzymatic activity. On the other hand, pre-colonized plants were less affected by the presence of salt in the soil. Seedlings pre-inoculated with AMF presented the same growth rate and photosynthetic activity in all saline treatments. No increase in lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymatic activity was observed in seedlings pre-inoculated with AMF even under high saline concentration of 10 dS/m EC. The results suggest the existence of a mechanism to mitigate the effects of saline stress on pre-colonized seedlings. Therefore, pre-colonized J. curcas seedlings are an alternative for the cultivation of this species in salinized soils.

Weed community composition in different agro-systems

Weed communities in agricultural systems are diverse and subjected to different agronomic practices. In this study, a phytosociological survey of the weed community in different cropping systems consisting of corn, horticulture, perennial cultivation of Jatropha curcas and pasture of Urochloa brizantha in Rio Verde, GO, Brazil, was carried out. Assessments were performed at the beginning (October 2011) and at the end (March 2012) of the rainy season. After identifying and counting species, were calculated the phytosociological indices of density, frequency, abundance and relative importance, as well as the diversity index of Shannon-Wiener, evenness index of Pielou and similarity coefficient of Sorense. Were found 46 species of sixteen families, especially Poaceae. The most important species were: Alternanthera tenella in the annual growth environment during the both periods; Panicum maximum (early rainy season) and Chamaescy hirta (end of the rainy season) in the vegetable garden; Eleusine indica (early rainy season) and Galinsoga parviflora (end of the rainy season) in the perennial crop and Sida rhombifolia (early rainy season) and Neonotonia wigrtii (end of the rainy season) in the pasture. Lower diversity indices and evenness were observed in the pasture environment. Sampling time presented a higher impact on similarities when compared to the different environments.

International experiences with the cultivation of Jatropha curcas for biodiesel production

This paper is the first of its kind, providing an identification of the problems encountered in all documented global experiences of cultivating the Jatropha curcas plant, covering 22 case studies. Influential components of the biodiesel production (stakeholders like government, farmers and enterprises as well as resources such as land and water) and how they are interconnected are pinpointed. In addition, the article gives recommendations to the main actors under ecological and socio-economic criteria to ensure a sustainable production of J. curcas oil in regions with appropriate climatic conditions for the plant's viability. Hence, this analysis of experiences discusses the following questions: What are the reasons and factors for the previous unsuccessful and unsustainable cultivation of J. curcas for producing biodiesel? Can it be lucrative and simultaneously achieve poverty alleviation/job creation under the constraints of efficient use of resources (land and water)?.

Chemical Composition, Bio-Diesel Potential and Uses of <i>Jatropha curcas</i> L. (Euphorbiaceae)

This review paper focuses some basic aspect of the taxonomic, biology, cultivation, chemical composition, bio-diesel potential, medicinal values and uses of Jatropha curcas Linn. The genus Jatropha is distributed throughout the tropics and sub-tropics growning in marginal lands and is a potential biodiesel crop worldwide. Due to its adaptability to marginal soils and environments the cultivation of Jatropha curcas is frequently mentioned as the best option for producing biodiesel. The seed oil can be used as a feed stock for biodiesel. Alternatively Jatropha oil is used in soap, glue or dye industry. The seed cake is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus and can be used as manure. Ash from the roots and branches of Jatropha curcas L. is used as cooking salt, and as lye in dyeing. The dark blue dye extracted from the bark of Jatropha is a useful dye. The plant parts and its oil along with its latex used for different reasons such as pesticides, anti-inflammatory activities, wound healing, lighting (lamp), bio-gas production, fertilizer and other purposes. The objective of this review paper focuses some basic aspect of the taxonomic, biology, cultivation, chemical composition, bio-diesel potential, medicinal values and uses of Jatropha curcas Linn.

A multi-factor evaluation of Jatropha as a feedstock for biofuels: the case of sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a geographical region consisting of 49 countries, out of which, 39 countries have experiences with the cultivation of Jatropha curcas L. Since the year 2000 Jatropha production escalated in the region and peaked in around 2007/2008. The major drivers of this trend were claims made about Jatropha including include its ability to grow on marginal lands, high seed and oil yields, and drought tolerant, amongst other attributes. However, the reality has shown that these attributes have not been realised. The objective of the present paper is to analyse the performance of Jatropha as a biofuel feedstock in SSA based on agronomic, economic, social and environmental factors involved in its production. Evidences in SSA show that the major challenge with Jatropha cultivation has been low seed yields, ranging between 0.1 and 2 t/ha. This in turn has led to oil yields which are not sufficiently viable for use in production of biofuels such as biodiesel. There have also been reported challenges with production on wastelands, low use of inputs, unimproved planting materials and vulnerability to pests and diseases. These have negatively affected the performance of Jatropha causing the original claims made about this energy crop not materialised in the SSA.

Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) modulates stomatal traits in response to leaf-to-air vapor pressure deficit

Cultivation of Jatropha curcas in arid and semiarid non-cultivated areas could be a sustainable strategy for stimulating biofuel production without competing with food crops for land and water resources. J. curcas is considered a drought-tolerant species; however, the mechanisms that provide tolerance are unknown. Few efforts have been made to understand the connections between stomatal development and environment conditions. Here, we compared changes in stomatal density (SD) and stomatal index (SI) and their influence on gas exchange in J. curcas. Plants were cultivated in both rainy and dry regions. We describe a distinctive distribution of stomata under the adaxial and abaxial leaf epidermises, where higher SD may have caused the increase in stomatal conductance (gs) with positive effects on net photosynthetic rate (PN). However, when rain was excluded, the variation in gs was strongly related to vapour pressures deficit (VPD), and VPD was strongly related to the PN. Thus, our results suggest that J. curcas may also contribute mitigating the effect of CO2 deposition in the atmosphere, given that a remarkable change in SD and other leaf traits was observed in response to seasonal variations. Moreover, multivariate analysis highlights the high sensitivity of J. curcas plants to VPD which in turn induces rapid stomatal closure and consequent reduction of PN for long periods of time which reflect into a change in the pattern of development resulting in higher SI. These results can help us to understand the relationship between stomatal features and gas exchange in response to environment changes.

Cultivation of Jatropha curcas L. leads to pronounced mycorrhizal community differences

Plantations of Jatropha curcas for biodiesel production in tropical and sub-tropical regions are currently booming. Although Jatropha species are well known for synthesizing a range of toxicants, the effects of J. curcas monoculture on the symbiotic status of staple crops and trees have hardly been investigated. We transferred to the greenhouse soil samples collected from 3 J. curcas plantations established 1, 2 and 15 years ago in Senegal, together with soil samples from the corresponding adjacent fallow plots. We tested whether the modification of the original chemical and microbial soil properties induced by the development of J. curcas could alter the growth of common local crops (millet, cowpea) and of a local tree (Acacia seyal), all grown in pots. We also investigated effects at the scale of the root mycorrhizal community by determining root colonization patterns (frequency, intensity) and taxonomic diversity (18S rDNA sequencing). Pronounced compositional shifts in root mycorrhizal communities were almost systematically observed between Glomeraceae and Gigasporaceae, or in some cases within Glomeraceae. Biomass and N–P shoot contents were often higher in J. curcas-grown soils. In conclusion, the altered composition of the soil mycorrhizal communities in response to the development of J. curcas did not have detrimental effects on local staple crops. The functional consequences of such modified mycorrhizal assemblages should now be further investigated under more stressful conditions.

Photosynthetic responses of Jatropha curcas to spider mite injury

The spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch is emerging as a major problem in Jatropha curcas cultivation. The goal of this study was to investigate the photosynthetic responses of Jatropha to spider mite infestation. Leaf CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration, intracellular CO2 concentration, and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency significantly decreased in mite-infested leaves compared with controls. Lower water content and specific leaf area of the mite-infested leaves were positively related to symptoms of wrinkling and curling. Leaf electrolyte leakage remained unchanged in the mite-infested leaves, revealing no effect on leaf membrane integrity. Leaves exhibited reductions in soluble protein and soluble sugar in association with photosynthetic impairment. Although decreases in photochemical activity and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters suggested damage to the photosynthetic apparatus, although there were no measurable reductions in chlorophyll or carotenoid contents associated with photosynthetic apparatus impairment. The decrease in the leaf CO2 assimilation rate was partially attributed to stomatal and metabolic limitations in the mite-infested leaves.

English

The major limitation in large-scale cultivation of Jatropha curcas for use as energy crop is the inconsistent and unstable seed yield due to the heterozygous nature of the plant. A reliable in vitro regeneration system is necessary for continuous supply of quality planting material at large-scale. In this study, the interaction between the season collection of explants and capacity of in vitro regeneration shoots from foliar explants was investigated. Three genotypes selected in our breeding program were evaluated. We achieved an average of 39.8, 25.5 and 10.9 shoots per explant for G1, G2 and G3 genotypes, respectively. All genotypes showed higher regeneration capacity when the foliar explants were collected in September/2012 season. Excellent results were obtained with the use of micrografting technique for the in vitro rooting, with a plant recovery rate of 85%. In order to confirm the genetic stability of micropropagated shoots, two analyses were performed: ploidy estimation using flow cytometry and DNA polymorphism analysis using TRAP molecular markers, which has been here reported for the first time for J. curcas. For G1 genotype, it was found that 4% of the plants were tetraploid and 5% of plants had polymorphic bands. No DNA polymorphisms were found in plants of other genotypes. Thus, the low or no somaclonal variation indicates that the protocol established preserves the clonal fidelity of micropropagated plants.   Key words: Organogenesis, in vitro micrografting, foliar explants.

Carbon farming in hot, dry coastal areas: an option for climate change mitigation

Abstract. We present a comprehensive, interdisciplinary project which demonstrates that large-scale plantations of Jatropha curcas – if established in hot, dry coastal areas around the world – could capture 17–25 t of carbon dioxide per hectare per year from the atmosphere (over a 20 yr period). Based on recent farming results it is confirmed that the Jatropha curcas plant is well adapted to harsh environments and is capable of growing alone or in combination with other tree and shrub species with minimal irrigation in hot deserts where rain occurs only sporadically. Our investigations indicate that there is sufficient unused and marginal land for the widespread cultivation of Jatropha curcas to have a significant impact on atmospheric CO2 levels at least for several decades. In a system in which desalinated seawater is used for irrigation and for delivery of mineral nutrients, the sequestration costs were estimated to range from 42–63 EUR per tonne CO2. This result makes carbon farming a technology that is competitive with carbon capture and storage (CCS). In addition, high-resolution simulations using an advanced land-surface–atmosphere model indicate that a 10 000 km2 plantation could produce a reduction in mean surface temperature and an onset or increase in rain and dew fall at a regional level. In such areas, plant growth and CO2 storage could continue until permanent woodland or forest had been established. In other areas, salinization of the soil may limit plant growth to 2–3 decades whereupon irrigation could be ceased and the captured carbon stored as woody biomass.

The role of Jatropha curcas cultivation in livelihood strategies of small-scale households in rural Tanzania

Jatropha curcas is cultivated especially by small-scale farm households as a bioenergy plant, but also as a supporting plant for spice production such as vanilla and black pepper. With the increasing worldwide demand for both biofuel and spices, Jatropha cultivation is expected to expand in the future. To explore its role in rural households’ livelihood strategies, a factor, cluster and a multinomial logit regression analysis were conducted using household data from rural Tanzania. Three different livelihood strategies were identified: (1) “subsistence farm households combined with unskilled wage employment”, (2) “farm households highly specialized in cash crop production”, and (3) “farm households specialized in cash crop production combined with skilled off-farm employment”. While households from Cluster 3 are better-off, those from Cluster 1 are the poorest. The income from cultivation of Jatropha/spices is significantly higher for the third cluster. However, for poorer households of Cluster 1, the share of income from Jatropha/spices has been quite significant with up to 30 %. The result of the multinomial logit regression analysis identifies human and financial capital, transaction costs and institutional factors explaining differences in livelihood portfolios. The results help shaping and targeting interventions to improve livelihood strategies of the rural poor in Tanzania.