Grown in the proper environments with good agronomic practices, J. curcas can be produced profitably today with high yields and low input costs. With the right team, tools, and genetic diversity, the possibilities to push this species even further in the direction of greater yields with increasingly lower inputs are extremely promising. Jatropha is what is referred to as an undomesticated crop, meaning it has not undergone intensive selection and breeding to optimize those traits that could expand its productivity as a renewable fuel crop. While many food crops such as corn have been bred and domesticated for thousands of years, Jatropha is at a very early stage in the domestication process. Jatropha has many qualities that make it ripe for leaps in improvement:

• An undomesticated species.

• A fast-growing perennial shrub or small tree.

• A generation time of about 9 months.

• Produces separate male and female flowers.

• Can be readily propagated by cuttings.

The privately held company SG Biofuels (www. sgfuel. com) has established a Jatropha Genetic Resource Center (GRC) to further accelerate profitable, large — scale production of Jatropha as a low-cost, sustainable source of feedstock for biofuel. With research sites in San Diego and several Latin American countries,

SG Biofuels and its GRC claims to have the largest, most genetically diverse library of Jatropha genetic material in the world. The GRC enables the company’s efforts to drive genetic improvements that will enhance yield, improve agronomic prac­tices, and broaden the effective growing range of this promising subtropical crop.

This germplasm foundation, in combination with modern biotechnological advances and practices, is providing the platform for significant improvements in this renewable fuel crop.

The scientific team at SG Biofuels has already identified many strains whose characteristics suggest they have only scratched the surface for the production cap­abilities of Jatropha. The GRC allows the company to identify commercially valuable traits, and continue to enhance them through genetic and scientific programs. Through its GRC, SG Biofuels has begun evaluating thousands of diverse accessions of Jatropha obtained from a range of geographical and climatic conditions.

Dr. Robert Schmidt oversees efforts at the company’s San Diego and Latin American research sites. Research efforts include selection and breeding, and the company has generated hybrids among genetically distinct lines to address such issues as yield, cold tolerance, and resistance to insect pests.

Through additional genetic improvements and breeding, a range of opportu­nities exist to improve Jatropha’s oil yield and develop improved strains, including those that can further enhance production in the colder climates of the United States and other nations.

With proper site selection and agronomic practices, oil yields of 200-300 gallons of extractable oil per acre are realistic today with likely improvement in yields in the range of 50-100% anticipated over the next several years.