Industrial Crop: Wax  Management: Standard  New Crop  Other Systems: Strip intercrop

A plant of arid regions in the subtropics, it can also be cultivated in arid tropical areas at elevations up to 1,500 metres[299 ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 21 - 36°c, but can tolerate 10 - 50 with an absolute high of 55°c[299 , 418 ]. Plants require at least one month of lower temperatures, around 15 - 20°c, in order to break dormancy of flower buds - at constantly high temperatures jojoba never flowers[289 ]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -10°c, but young plants are very susceptible to frost damage[299 , 418 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 250 - 800mm, but tolerates 100 - 2,000mm[418 ]. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained light to medium soil[200 ]. Tolerates saline soils[418 ]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, tolerating 5 - 8.2[299 ]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[303 ]. Plants are slow-growing[299 ]. In cultivation, male plants may start flowering 2 years after planting and female ones up to 1 year later. Flowering occurs on new growth only and is initiated by low temperatures. Cultivars with different chilling requirements have been selected[299 ]. The plant comes into full bearing in 7 - 8 years, and can bear fruit for 100 - 200 years[418 ]. Flower buds may remain dormant until sufficient moisture is available[299 ]. Prolonged drought may lead to abortion of flower buds and young fruits[299 ]. Under favourable conditions, plants can live for longer than 100 years[289 ]. In more difficult conditions they can survive as small stunted shrubs[289 ]. Plans have a long tap root that is able to penetrate as deep as 25 metres into the soil in search of moisture[289 ]. Thus established plants are very drought tolerant[289 ]. Yields of up to 4.5 tonnes of wax per hectare are believed possible, though in practice 3.5 tonnes is the maximum achieved[289 ]. The plant is dioecious (female and male flowers are found on separate bushes). One male plant for every 5 or so females is required for optimum seed production.

Carbon Farming

• Industrial Crop: Wax  Water resistant, malleable substances. Currently, most commercial wax is made from paraffin - a fossil fuel.
• Management: Standard  Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
• New Crop  Most new crops were important wild plants until recently, although some are the result of hybridization. They have been developed in the last few, decades. What they have in common is that they are currently cultivated by farmers. Examples include baobab, argan, and buffalo gourd.
• Other Systems: Strip intercrop  Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.