Phytosanitary Aspects of Jatropha Farming in Brazil

Jatropha curcas L. has been believed to be a rustic crop mildly attacked by pests and diseases. This situation has changed with the crop expansion in recent years. Several microorganisms have been diagnosed as pathogens, but there are still very few researches carried out in the field. In this paper, we present our investigations on the control of pests, diseases and weeds in J. curcas plantations. In Brazil, the main pests are mites (broad mite, two-spotted spider mite, European red mite), termites, thrips, stem borer, green leafhopper and stink bug. Diseases are mainly fungal with cercosporiosis, alternariosis, anthracnosis, fusariosis, rust and oidium. Among these diseases, root infections are especially important because of the difficulty to control them. Rust is also a matter of concern because it promotes rapid and severe defoliation, which is difficult to control as well. Main weeds are among the genera Merremia, Ipomoea, Momordica, Cenchrus, Brachiara and Pyrestegia. Effective treatments for these parasites are discussed, but none are yet officially recognized by the Brazilian legislation.