Effects of awareness program for controlling mosaic disease in Jatropha curcas plantations

The shrinkage of fossil fuel resources motivates many countries to search alternative energy sources. Jatropha curcas is a small drought‐resistant shrub from whose seeds a high grade fuel biodiesel can be produced. It is cultivated in many tropical countries including India. However, the plant is affected by the mosaic virus (Begomovirus) through infected white‐flies (Bemisia tabaci) which causes mosaic disease. Disease control is an important factor to obtain healthy crop but in agricultural practice, farming awareness is equally important. Here, we propose a mathematical model for media campaigns for raising awareness among people to protect this plant in small plots and control disease. In order to archive high crop yield, we consider the awareness campaign to be arranged in impulsive way to make people aware from infected white‐flies to protect Jatropha plants from mosaic virus. The study reveals that the spread of mosaic disease can be contained or even eradicated by the awareness campaigns. To attain an effective eradication, awareness campaign should be implemented at sufficiently short time intervals. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.