Impact of some biofertilizers and compost on growth and chemical composition of Jatropha curcas L.

Pot experiments were carried out in the two seasons of 2011 and 2012 at Research and Production Station of National Research Center, Nubaria, Behaira Governorate, Egypt to study the effect of biofertilizers i.e. algae, microbien and phosphorien in addition to untreated plants as control on vegetative growth and some chemical constituents of Jatropha curcus L. seedlings. Algae, microbien and phosphorien as biofertilizes were added 5 cm /pot after 30 and 60 days after planting (DAP), or compost (peanut or Nile compost) at the rate of 3 200g/pot. Results showed that all treatments significantly promoted all growth parameters of Jatropha seedlings than control plants. The highest values of plant height stem diameter, number of leaves/plant and leaf area in seedling of Jatropha seedlings were obtained by application algae, microbien and compost. Compost gave the highest values of fresh and dry weight of leaves and roots. The same trend was noticed concerning chlorophyll a, b and caroteniods contents, as well as carbohydrate, total soluble indoles and total soluble phenols content due to algae, phosphorien, compost and microbien treatments, respectively. On the contrary, indoles and phenols content were decreased by compost application. It can be concluded that biofertilization (algae, microbien, phosphorien or compost) application had safe of agricultural treatments to hazard the undesirable impact of mineral fertilizers, also it had a favorable effect on growth and favorable effect on growth and availability of chemical composition of Jatropha curcus L. seedlings.