SPAR methods coupled with seed-oil content revealed intra-specific natural variation in Jatropha curcas L. from Northeast India

• Jatropha curcas has emerged as a source of biodiesel as it does not compete with the edible oil.
• Knowledge of its variation in oil content and genetic makeup in wild is crucial for its sustainable utilization.
• Natural variation was recorded at intra-specific level.
• SPAR methods revealed genetic variation among genotypes.

Jatropha curcas, a non-domesticated energy plant, has emerged as a source of biodiesel as it does not compete with the edible oil supplies. The knowledge of its variation in oil content and genetic makeup in wild is crucial for its sustainable utilization. In the present study, 36 genotypes of J. curcas collected from different districts of Assam and Meghalaya provinces of Northeast India showed variation in seed-oil content. Also, single primer amplification reaction (SPAR) methods were used to determine diversity at DNA level. The analyses included the use of 8 minisatellite core sequence primers for directed amplification of minisatellite DNA and 10 arbitrary primed decamer sequences for random amplification reactions. Upon analysis of the data generated, both of the two SPAR methods revealed genetic variation among genotypes. The study suggests that J. curcas collected from Northeast India shows ample genetic variation both at genetic level and oil-content.