Biodiesel
The criteria for success of a new agro-industrial crop are stability of annual seed production and profitable seed yields. Irrespective of being a xerophyte, the arid environment need not be ideal for commercial planting since mechanisms that enable Jatropha to survive under stress are not always compatible with those necessary for sustained production as a commercial crop.
There is no denying that for good seed yield and oil content, soil moisture and fertility levels are important. However, the phenology of a prospective genotype has to synchronize with the rainfall pattern in a given semi-arid situation like scanty rains in short spells and fewer rainy days.