Jatropha curcas L. (2n = 2× = 22) is increasingly attracting attention in the biodiesel industry for its oil. However, the cultivation of J. curcas L. is faced with numerous challenges unlike the cultivation of Ricinus communis L. (2n = 2× = 20), a closely related species. The generation of an intergeneric hybrid between J. curcas L. and R. communis L. was investigated. Intergeneric hybrids were produced by hand crossing. Immature embryos were rescued, in vitro, from the hybrid seeds and cultured on an enriched Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium for a month. The plantlets produced were grown in sterile peat moss in plastic pots and covered with polyethylene for 30 days, after which they were transferred into cement potted soil. The hybridity and the genuineness of the hybrids were successfully confirmed using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The number of branches, stem diameter, and leaf size of the F1 hybrids were similar to those of J. curcas L. while the plant height was similar to that of R. communis L. Young hybrids were treated with various concentrations (0%, 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5%) of colchicine to induce polyploids. The calli (JR6) treated with 0.3% colchicine recorded the highest tetraploid cell percentage (38.89%). A high tetraploid cell percentage (>50%) is significant in overcoming the problem of sterility after hybridization.
Keywords: Jatropha curcas L.; RAPD marker; Ricinus communis L.; embryo rescue; gene introgression; polyploidization.