Seed viability of Jatropha curcas in different fruit maturity stages after storage

Santoso BB, Budianto A, Aryana IGPM. 2012. Seed viability of Jatropha curcas in different fruit maturity stages after storage. Nusantara Bioscience 4: 113-117. The effect of fruit maturity stages and seed storage period to seed viability was investigated. Seed samples of West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara genotype of Jatropha curcas were collected from a stand of two-year-old trees at an experimental field. The seed samples obtained were in four different stages of fruit maturity involving early maturity (green fruit), physiological maturity (yellow fruit), over maturity (brownies fruit), and senescence (black-dry fruit). The results showed that fruit maturity and storage period had an influence on the seed viability of J. curcas. The best fruit maturity stage for seed viability including seed oil content was found in yellow fruit and brownies fruit. For germination to be preserved, seeds could be stored in the ambient room storage for at least five months. For the purpose of oil extraction, seed should preferably be stored not more than four months under ambient room conditions.