Impact of Pedo-Climatic Conditions on Jatropha curcas L. Seeds Oil Content

Plants, like Jatropha curcas prized for its biofuel production, are subjected to climatic variations. An aim of this study was to highlight the impact of Burkina Faso climate on the quality of Jatropha curcas seeds in terms of lipid accumulation. For this, dried fruits and seeds were harvested from eight (08) years old trees situated at three (03) localities i. e. Mansila (in Sahelian zone), Bobo-Dioulasso (in soudanese zone) and Gampela (in soudano-sahelian zone) of the country. Fruits, seeds and kernels masses were determined for every ecotype and filling rates of fruit with seeds and seed with kernel were deducted. The filling rate of seeds with kernel in terms of surface was also calculated from seed and kernel surfaces. Seed oil content was determined by the soxhlet method. Results of the current study revealed no significant difference for fruits or seeds masses between ecotypes and their filling rates of seed with kernel in terms of mass or surface were similar too. Seeds account for 90% of fruit mass, and kernel for 65% of the seed mass. Similarly, kernel oil contents are also significantly different considering ecotypes and seeds taken from Mansila are rich in oil (59.80 ? 0.28%) compared to those from Bobo-Dioulasso (54.50?0.20%) and Gampela (56.67?0.16%). This difference in oil contents seemed to be linked to climatic factors. In the sahelian zone, the best adaptation strategy for Jatropha curcas plant survival face to the long hot season would involve an important accumulation of lipids within albumen of seed to ensure embryo development and thus, the species survival.