Everything you need to know about castor cultivation and growth. Learn about:- 1. Introduction to Castor Plant 2. Origin and History of Castor 3. Geographic Distribution 4. About Castor Plant 5. Classification and Growth Phases 6. Climate 7. Soil 8. Field Preparation 9 . Sowing Time 10. Manure and Fertilizers 11. Water Management 12. Weed Management 13. Cropping Systems 14. Harvesting and Threshing.
Castor Plant Cultivation: How to Grow Castor Oil Plant in India [A Guide for Farmers]
Contents:
- Introduction to Castor Plant
- Origin and History of Castor
- Geographic Distribution of Castor
- About Castor Plant
- Classification and Growth Phases of Castor
- Climate Required for Growing Castor
- Soil Required for Growing Castor
- Field Preparation of Castor
- Sowing Time of Castor
- Manure and Fertilizers Required for Castor
- Water Management of Castor
- Weed Management of Castor
- Cropping Systems of Castor
- Harvesting and Threshing of Castor
1. Introduction to Castor Plant:
Castor oil plant or castor bean is also known as Palma Christi or Mexico plant. It is one of the ancient and important commercial and non-edible oilseed crops of the world. It has the ability to grow under low rainfall and fertility conditions, and is most suitable for dryland farming. The oil content of the seeds varies from 50-55% in different varieties. The importance of oil arises from it richness (85-95%) of ricinolic acid.
Castor oil has several commercial application as well. Because it is insoluble in benzine and has a very low freezing point, it is well suited for the lubrication of airplane engine. Castor oil is also used in hydraulic brake fluids and. The oil is also used in the preparation of synthetic detergents, wax and a variety of rubber goods, hair oils etc.
In general the castor oil is used in the manufacture of adhesive, plastic soaps, printing ink, waxes, rubber substitutes, drying oil for enamels paints, varnish, cosmetic, transparent paper, linoleum, pharmaceutical and also for lighting purposes.
Castor oil is also used in the manufacture of resins. It is mainly used for surface coating on household equipment, furniture, refrigerators and kitchen equipment. In dyeing industries, it is used for preparation of ‘Turkey red’. Oil meant for these purposes is extracted by heat and is poisonous.
Castor oil is well known for its strongly laxative (and, in higher doses, purgative) action, prompting a bowel movement about 3-5 hour after ingestion. The oil is so effective that it is regularly used to clear the digestive tract in cases of poisoning. It can be used medicinally as cathartic and obstetrics.
Castor oil is used in many veterinary medicines. Castor oil is well tolerated by the skin, and it is sometimes used as a vehicle for medicinal and cosmetic preparations. It is also applied externally as a bland emollient to the skin as an ointment for skin diseases.
In India, the oil is massaged into the breasts after childbirth to stimulate milk flow. Indian herbalism uses a poultice of castor oil seeds to relieve swollen and tender joints. In China, the crushed seeds are used to treat facial palsy.
The Egyptians used castor oil, derived from beans, as lamp oil and as an unguent; they also purged their systems three times a month by drinking the oil mixed with beer. Castor oil can also be used externally as emollient as a soothing medium when dropped into the eyes of animals after removal of foreign bodies and also as laxative for many animals.
The castor leaves are used for rearing silk worms in silk producing areas. In the silk-producing areas, leaves are fed to eri worms. Plant stalks as fuel or as thatching material or for preparing paper pulp. After extraction of oil, castor cake is valued as organic manures. It contains about 4.3% N, 1.8% phosphoric acid and 1.3% K and some micronutrients. Castor is also valued for its anti-termite properties. Castor cake, contains a highly toxic protein, namely ricine and alkaloid, thus is unfit for use as livestock feed.
Old-time gardeners used to drop castor beans into the rodent’s holes to poison them. The planting of castor bean plants around the perimeter of a garden was another way to discourage the pests.
2. Origin and History of Castor:
Castor is believed to have most probably originated in Ethiopian-East African region. There are four centres of diversity for castor, viz.,- (1) Ethiopian-Eastern African, (2) North- West and South-West Asia and Arabian peninsular (3) Sub-continent of India and (4) China. In the 19th century, fast growth, exotic foliage and unique coloring made castor bean plant a favorite in American Victorian gardens. In India castor is known from very early days and is referred in Susruta Sambita written over 2,000 years ago.
3. Geographic Distribution of Castor:
A native of Africa and Asia, and is now naturalized in Australia. It is abundantly seen along with courses and flood plains, disturbed or wasteland, and road sides. Castor cultivation confines to 40° latitude from equator on either side (N&S). India is the principal global producer of castor followed by China and Brazil.
In the country during 2005-06, it is grown on 0.95 m ha with a production of 0.91 m tones. Of the total production, a 0.57, 0.16 and 0.15 m tonne is produced by Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan respectively. Of the total castor oil production in the country (0.38 m tonnes) the domestic utilization is less than one third (0.12 m tonnes in 2005-06).
4. About Castor Plant:
The castor plant belongs to the genus Ricinus, a member of Euphorbiaceae. The name Ricinus is a Latin term meaning dog tick and was given to this plant by Linnaeus because of the resemblance of the seed to that of common pest of dogs. Castor is a tall branching perennial (evergreen) shrub growing to about 30 ft (10 m) in its natural state, but a much smaller annual when cultivated.
The cultivated types reach up to 1.0-1.5 m height. Leaves are large (10-60 cm across), palm-shaped and each leaf is divided into 7-9 triangular segments with toothed edges and conspicuous veins. The flowers are arranged on spikes in the forks of the upper branches with green female flowers arranged at the top and male at the base.
After pollination, female flowers develop into spiny fruits (prickly red seed capsules) of 2.5 cm size across. Fruits have 3 segments, and each segment has a seed. The 100-seed weight may vary from 10-100 g with 30 g average in case of most of dwarf varieties. Germination is epigeal, and seedlings normally emerge in 10-12 days after sowing. The seed, the size of a rajmash, bears an attractive mottled coloring that’s appealing to children.
The bean’s poisonous substance, ricin, is one of deadliest toxins known; eating a single castor bean can kill a child. In light of the fact that just one milligram of ricin will kill an adult, it is best to leave castor bean seeds alone. The seeds contain 45-55 % fixed oil, which consists mainly of glycerides of ricinoleic acid, ricin (a highly toxic protein), ricinine (an alkaloid), and lectins.
Considered the most deadly of all natural poisons, ricin was extracted from castor beans for chemical warfare in World War I. Its potency proved it too risky for both sides and has remained in the arsenal, but rarely used except by terrorists. When the beans are hulled and crushed, they yield a clear or yellowish poison-free oil rich in another substance, ricinolein, which irritates the intestines, causing them to expel their contents.
5. Classification and Growth Phases of Castor:
Castor has a large number of cultivars or types. Papova (1930) divided the Ricinus communis into 6 sub-species on eco-geographical growing groups i.e., sub-species africanus; chinensis; mexicianus; pericus; sanguineus and zanzibarinus.
Three periods of growth of castor have been identified such as:
i. Germination,
ii. Vegetative growth, and
iii. Capsule formation.
i. Germination:
The duration of germination phase is 10-15 days that begins from sowing to sprouting in which swelling, growth of the first rootlet and hypocotyl and emergence of cotyledons on the surface takes place.
ii. Vegetative Growth:
Its duration is 35 to 70 days. During the period of vegetative growth (i.e., sprout to flowering of central spike), the formation of secondary roots growth in height of main stem with the formation of nodes and leaves takes place and the central spike flowers.
iii. Capsule Formation:
This stage lasts from 33-90 days in which seeds of central spike ripen, lateral shoots grow and the seeds of lateral spikes occur. Flowering and ripening of the seeds of lateral spikes of the first and second orders belong to intermediate phases of development. The main intermediate phase of development is the ripening of seeds on the central spike, which gives up to 80-90 % of total yield.
6. Climate Required for Growing Castor:
Castor is a hardy perennial plant well adapted to semi-tropical environment and grown on a wide range of climatic conditions throughout warm-temperate and tropical regions. It performs best with moderate temperature (20-26°C) with low relative humidity and clear sunny days throughout the crop season.
Very high temperature of > 40°C at flowering even for short periods results in blasting of flowers and poor seed set. Low temperature of <15°C are not conducive for castor cultivation. A frost free climate is a must for the crop. Castor is basically a long-day plant, but it grows well without marked reduction in yield under wide range in day length.
It can withstand drought, owing to deep root system and also due to light reflecting characteristics of stem and leaves that reduce heat load and improve survival under moisture stress. It requires a well distributed rainfall of 500 to 600 mm during growing period for good yields.
High rainfall at flowering and capsule formation stage is not conducive, as it promotes fungal disease (botrytis). Though the crop cannot stand frost, but some annual cultivars can grow even at altitudes of 1200-2100 m, e.g., the Nilgiris, if sown in March- April. Perennial varieties are grown at still higher altitudes for shade in coffee estates.
7. Soil Required for Growing Castor:
Castor can be grown successfully on most of the soils except heavy clay and poorly drained soils. Deep, moderately fertile, with slight acidic condition are more suitable. The soils with low water holding capacity (sandy soils) are also not suitable for castor cultivation. The soils with pH > 9.0 and < 4.0; EC > 4.0 dS/m and ESP > 20% are not suitable.
Castor is often grown on marginal soils which are generally not suitable for growing other crops. Soils with high fertility are not desirable as they favour excess vegetative growth, prolonged flowering and delayed to maturity, leading to poor yields.
In India, the soils where castor is grown with higher productivity include chalka (shallow) soils of Andhra Pradesh to deep sandy loams of Gujarat. In Orissa, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the soils are relatively deep. In the Malabar region of Kerala and South Kanara of Karnataka, it is cultivated in clayey rice fallows, while in Uttar Pradesh; it is raised in heavy loam soils. Castor is highly sensitive to soil salinity but genotypic variations are noticed in terms of salt tolerance and performance under salinity.
8. Field Preparation of Castor:
Castor requires a well pulverised and clean seed bed. The slow initial growth coupled with its cultivation at wider row spacings calls for not only deep ploughing, but also a land preparation to keep weeds under control during growing period. Hence, a deep summer ploughing is necessary for weed control and conserving moisture.
Prepare the land immediately after harvest the onset of monsoon by 1-2 harrowings to break the clods followed by planking to conserve the moisture. Ploughing 1-2 times followed by 1-2 harrowing with disc plough or blade harrows to pulverise the clods for obtaining optimum tilth is common practice of field preparation.
9. Sowing Time of Castor:
Time of sowing, depends on the onset of monsoon and it has a significant effect on yield and net profits from castor. The most ideal time to sow kharif castor in drylands is soon after the onset of south-west monsoon. Generally the crop is sown during June-July.
The optimum sowing time for rainfed castor is second fortnight of June in Andhra Pradesh and other southern states, and first fortnight of July in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Owing to red hairy caterpillar menace in early sown crop, farmers usually sow the crop in July.
However, with the development of effective management technology for this pest, June sowings are increasingly adopted. Experimental evidence suggests that September-October is ideal period for rabi castor, while January is optimum for sowing summer castor. Rabi crop should be sown when the soil temperatures are greater than 12°C.
Seed Rate and Spacing:
The spacing and seed rate for optimum production varies with the growing conditions and varieties to be grown. The general optimum population of castor will be around 40,000 to 60,000 plants/ha which requires 10-15 kg of seeds, a lower level under low rainfall situations and a higher rate for assured rainfall situations.
For irrigated conditions, a lower plant population of 18,500 plants/ha is optimum with 5-6 kg/ha of seed. The seed rate used for sowing behind the plough is 12 kg/ha. For hand dibbling, 8-10 kg/ha of seed will be sufficient. For intercropping, seed rate depends on sowing proportion of component crops.
The spacing varies with growth habit, duration of variety and time of sowing. Under rainfed conditions, early and medium duration cultivars are sown at a closer spacing of 90 cm x 45 cm as against wider spacing (90 cm x 60 cm) for long duration cultivars. However, narrow spacing (60 cm x 60 cm) is necessary for realizing higher yields under late sown situation. In areas where there is excessive moisture due to heavy rains in early part of the season wider spacing should be adopted.
There is a tendency for castor to put-forth excessive vegetative growth with elongated internodes whenever there is abundant soil moisture and cloudy weather. Under such situations or irrigated conditions also, 90 cm x 60 cm or 120 x 60 cm spacings are suitable.
In Gujarat, long duration (10 months) crop with profuse branching and lateral spread are used and 180 cm x 180 cm is followed for higher yields (up to 6 t/ha). This wider spacing is also known to prevent botrytis grey rot incidence. To achieve required plant stand in drylands, dibble 1-2 seeds/hill and thin out one seedlings 20 DAS and maintain one healthy seedling.
Seed Treatment:
Before sowing, castor seed should be treated with thiram 1.5 g + carbendazim 1.0 g per kg seed or with vitavax power 1.5 g per kg seed to prevent the incidence of seed-borne diseases like seedling blight, wilt, root-rot and Alternaria blight.
Seed treatment with carbendazim + Tricoderma at 10 g/kg seed + soil application of Tricoderma has been found most effective in preventing castor wilt. FYM and neem cake applications and seed treatment with Tricoderma viridi have also proved effective in reducing the incidence of Alternaria blight.
Methods of Sowing:
Castor is sown by three methods, viz. sowing in plough furrows, sowing with mechanical or conventional seed-drills (Pora method) and by dibbling method. Sowing with seed drills ensures proper row and plant spacing, resulting in optimum plant stand. It is generally sown behind the country plough in Andhra Pradesh. It is necessary to place seed in moist zone below soil surface for better germination.
Under irrigated conditions, seeds are dibbled at required spacings. This is adopted in Gujarat. Owing to its epigeal mode of germination, seedling emergence is not a problem. In light soils, under rainfed conditions, deep sowing (8-10 cm depth) is preferred, while under irrigated situation and heavy soils, shallow sowings (6-8 cm) are ideal. Proper covering of seeds with soil is essential to ensure quick and better germination.
10. Manure and Fertilizers Required for Castor:
Castor is highly responsive to manure and fertilizers. Hybrids and irrigated crop require more fertilizers than a variety and rainfed crop. Among organic manures, 10-12 t/ha of FYM application is desirable both under rainfed and irrigated conditions for moisture conservation besides supply of nutrients. The recommended dose of fertilizers under rainfed conditions is 40 kg N and 40 kg of P2O5/ha. All the P along with 50% N is applied at the time of sowing at the last harrowing. The remaining N is top-dressed after first weeding 30 DAS.
Under irrigated conditions, 40 kg N/ha, 40 kg P2O5 and 40 kg K2O as basal and 20 kg N/ha as topdressing each at every picking, starting from 90 DAS, at 30 days interval. Among sources of N should be given as urea, K through muriate of potash and P through single superphosphate is preferred as it supplies Ca and S also.
11. Water Management of Castor:
Castor is a drought tolerant crop, but responds well to irrigation. Being a kharif season crop, its growth and yields would be satisfactory, if the onset of monsoon, amount and distribution of rains over the crop period is normal. The total water requirement of castor varies from 250 to 400 mm. The crop performance is poor, when the crop experiences moisture stress from seedling to flowering stages.
Hence, under irrigated conditions, 2-3 irrigations are given during its critical period of growth. If only one irrigation is available, it should be given at flowering stage. The rabi and summer season crops require 6-8 irrigations depending upon the soil type and prevailing weather conditions.
Less number of irrigations are required if soils are heavy, on the other hand light soil requires frequent irrigation. Irrigations should not be given during maturity stage, as it may results in sprouting of new leaves and vegetative shoots which delays maturity.
On the basis of depletion of available soil moisture, the castor crop should be irrigated at 40-50 % available soil moisture for profitable production. After cessation of monsoon six irrigation each of 50 mm depth are sufficient for medium black soils at an interval of 20 days, while only four irrigations each of 70 mm depth are adequate at an interval of 24-28 days for heavy soils. In periods of high rainfall, provision of drainage is highly essential.
12. Weed Management of Castor:
The initial 50-60 days after sowing (DAS) is critical period of crop-weed competition. After a thorough and deep land preparation, the crop requires 2 hoeings either manual or mechanical 25 and 50 days after sowing.
Pre-plant incorporation of fluchloralin or pre- emergence application of pendimethalin @ 1 kg/ha is effective in controlling grasses as well as broad-leaved weeds. The above herbicides integrated with one hoeing 50 DAS may provide most satisfactory weed control in castor.
13. Cropping Systems of Castor:
Castor being a tall statured crop, finds place as shade crop for turmeric and also in coffee estates. It is also grown as trap crop for pests. Castor is grown as a sole crop in rotation with wheat and linseed, arid also grown mixed with cotton, groundnut, pigeonpea, greengram, sorghum, pearl millet and cowpea. A number of remunerative cereal/legume castor sequences are identified for different agro-ecological situations in the country.
Intercropping of castor with pigeonpea reducing the incidence of Spodoptra litura. Intercropping with groundnut in 1:2 row proportion gives higher net returns under Kerala conditions.
14. Harvesting and Threshing of Castor:
It takes about 145-280 days to mature. Castor is an indeterminate plant (multiple branching type nature) with perennial habit. On an average, it produces 4 to 5 sequential order spikes over a span of 180-240 days, one each at an interval of about 30 days. Physiological maturity in castor is attained when any of the capsules in the spike turns brown in colour. The central spike on the main rachies matures first, and thereafter the spikes on the side branches start maturing.
The main spike is ready for harvest within 90-120 days after sowing. The subsequent pickings can be taken up at an interval of 30 days. The mature spikes are cut preferably in morning hours and dried in sun for 4-5 days for easy threshing. Threshing is usually done by either beating the capsules with stick or alternatively by trampling with bullocks.
Depending upon the agro-climatic conditions and crop management practices adopted, the improved hybrids/varieties may yield 2.0-2.5 tonnes of seed/ha. The oil to seeds crushed is 37% and cake to seeds crushed is 63%.