Jatropha curcas (L) production as a potential source of alternative fuel has gain popularity in Ghana. The government is collaborating with the private sector to develop about one (1) million hectares of Jatropha plantation throughout the country in the next 5-6 years. The questions left unanswered are: why will farmers grow Jatropha? What knowledge do farmers have about the plant? Where will the farmers source quality planting material? It is likely farmers might have practical knowledge of the use of the plant which will be vital to researchers. Also it likely there are variations in the local germplasm which can be used as a basis for improvement. The main objective of the study was to determine if there are variations or otherwise in J. curcas accessions collected from 10 regions of Ghana and to identify promising accessions for future genetic improvement work.

Eric Owusu Danquah is a Research Scientist with the CSIR-Crops Research Institute. He has extensive knowledge and experience in Agricultural research and Agroforestry. He holds MPhil. degree in Agroforestry and BSc. (Hons) degree in Natural Resource Management all from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi-Ghana.