Ms. Nita Chowdhury, Principal Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of U.P., launched clonal/seed orchard of Jatropha curcas by planting an elite germplasm of Jatropha. This is being set up under a DBT sponsored project “Improvement of Jatropha through Evaluation of Diversity and Establishment of Clonal/seed orchard and developing Quality Planting Material” by Biotech Park, Lucknow and Council of Science and Technology, UP. Dr. V.P. Kamboj, Chairman Advisory Committee, Biotech Park and Former Director CDRI, Lucknow, Dr. P.K. Seth, C.E.O. Biotech Park, Dr. H.M. Behl, Director Grade Scientist, NBRI and Dr. Nandita Singh, Senior Scientist, NBRI also planted Jatropha saplings.

Under this programme elite germplasm of Jatropha of other networking institutes like-M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai; Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun; National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow and Panjab Rao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV), Akola will be planted and their various growth parameters, yield, productivity and oil content will be assessed.