ABSTRACT
Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is a drought-resistant shrub or tree with many attributes, multiple uses, and considerable potential to meet future energy requirements. The plant can be grown to prevent and/ or control soil erosion, reclaim land, act as a live fence especially to prevent farm animals, and as a commercial crop. The plant originated from tropical America, but it is now available in the arid, semiarid, tropical, and subtropical regions of the world (Hikwa 1995; Henning 1996; Makkar et al. 1997; Haas and Mittelbach 2000; Openshaw 2000; Sirisomboon et al. 2007). This plant is able to thrive in a number of climatic zones with wide range of rainfall ranging from 200 to over 1200 mm/year.
