Jojoba Farming Techniques and Commercial Yields

Jojoba Cultivation: Origin and Importance

The jojoba is native to the Sonoran Desert of Northern Mexico and South America. Its oil has significant industrial and pharmaceutical applications.

Industrial and Pharmaceutical Uses

In pharmaceutical production, jojoba oil is an excellent defoamer for penicillin production and is used for coatings and other remedies. Chemists can hydrolyze, isomerize, sulfide, or chloride the oil, transforming it into a number of ingredients for:

• Drugs and plastics
• Textiles and adhesives
• Printing inks and varnishes
• Linoleum and waterproofing agents
• Coatings, candles, acids, and waxes.

Climate and Soil Requirements

Jojoba thrives in arid soils with low fertility, typically receiving rainfall between 100 to 300 mm annually.

Soil Characteristics

In wild conditions, jojoba is found in sandy, alluvial soils mixed with pebbles, clay, and sand. It prefers neutral or alkaline soil with an abundance of phosphorus. The most suitable soils for commercial cultivation are fertile and deep, as the root system can reach up to 14 meters in depth. The plant itself can live for 100 years.

Temperature and Tolerance

Seeds germinate in about 20 days when temperatures are between 20°C and 30°C and moisture is adequate. While young plants may be affected by frost in their first year, once the plant is lignified, it can tolerate temperatures as low as -9°C. High temperatures, up to 50°C, do not affect the plant at all.

Jojoba is highly tolerant of salinity and supports long periods of drought due to the waxy adaptations and pubescence (fine hairs) found on its stems and leaves. It can produce well with 300 to 400 mm of annual rainfall.

Propagation and Sowing Methods

In conditions like the Chaco region, although direct seeding is possible (placing 2 to 3 seeds per hole), it is more prudent to produce plants in nurseries.

Nursery Production

Plants should be grown in polythene bags 30 cm or longer and planted one year later, once they are lignified, to avoid frost damage.

Planting Density and Sexing

The recommended planting distance, according to the University of Davis, is 3 meters between rows and 1.5 meters within the line.

Whether using nursery plants or direct seeding, place 3 to 4 seeds per spot. In the second year, remove the surplus male plants, maintaining a ratio of one male pollinator for every eight female productive plants.

Cultivation and Management

Jojoba is a very rustic plant; no major diseases or pests are currently known. Therefore, cultural work primarily involves weed control and tillage.

Weed Control

Weeding should be performed approximately two times per year, which also serves to ensure proper aeration of the roots.

Identifying Sex

The first flowers appear 14 to 16 months after planting, allowing for easy identification of male and female plants. This is the time to thin out the male surplus, ensuring the optimal ratio of eight female productive plants per male pollinator.

Harvesting and Yield Performance

Commercial production is typically established between the fourth and fifth year, but yields continue to increase with the plant's age. A single plant may reach up to 30 kilograms of yield after 30 years.

Expected Returns

Expected yields for the sixth year range from 1.5 to 5 kg per plant, translating to approximately 2,760 kilograms per hectare. This yield can rise significantly, reaching up to 9,200 kilograms per hectare in plants over 10 years old.