What is it about?
In this review, we discuss the state of the art of genetic improvement research for J. curcas taking into account the information about the karyology, genetic diversity and genomics, which are necessary to generate mapping populations, marker assisted selection and superior genotypes.
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Why is it important?
Global warming, population, environmental degradation and food production are serious concerns to the well being of mankind. Development of sustainable energy resources is an essential component to many of these problems. Bioenergy holds great promise to contribute significantly to reduce petroleum consumption and emission of green house gases. Biodiesel derived from the oil of Jatropha curcas seed is emerging as an alternative to fossil fuel, since it has the desirable physiochemical characteristics and performance even superior to conventional petroleum diesel. In addition, the plant is able to grow on marginal lands, which eliminates the “food versus fuel” dilemma.
Perspectives
The large scale cultivation of J. curcas remains the single most important issue that will ultimately decide of its success. Despite the availability of a vast germplasm with wide variability, new varieties or hybrids for higher oil yield, better agricultural and economic features are only at the dawn of their development.
Nicolas Carels
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Karyology and Genomics of Jatropha: Current Status and Future Prospects, October 2012, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-4915-7_15.
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