Organogenesis and Somatic Embryogenesis of Jatropha curcas L.

Jatropha curcas is a small bush who has attracted the attention as an energy crop for the biodiesel production. A number of reports have been published regarding to the toxic J. curcas but there is little information relating to non-toxic J. curcas. A simple, high-frequency protocol for plant regeneration through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis has been developed in cultured explants of non-toxic Jatropha curcas with different plant growth regulators. When Thidiazuron was used at concentrations of 3.5 and 4.5 μM, leaf explants showed the best response, forming a highly organogenic callus from which 78 and 64 shoots/explant were obtained. However, when Benzyladenine was combined with Indoleacteic acid, the hypocotyl explants showed a greater capacity for organogenesis compared with the leaf explant, both in indirect organogenesis (112 ± 1.8 shoots/explant) and in direct organogenesis (82 ± 1.6 shoots/explant). Somatic embryogenesis was induced directly from leaf explants which were exposed to 8.9 μM of Benzyladenine + 5. 6μM of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyactic acid. After 12 weeks of culture, the embryos began to turn green and eventually germinated. The shoots were elongated (73%) in the presence of 2.8 μM of Giberellic acid.