Castor Cultivation Information Guide
Table of Contents
Castor Cultivation Guide:
Introduction of Castor Cultivation:- Basically , Castor (Ricinus communis L.) is grown for its seeds. The oil extracted from Castor seed is being used widely for various purposes. It is used as a lubricant in high-speed engines and aero planes, in the manufacture of soaps, transparent paper, printing-inks, varnishes, linoleum and plasticizers. Castor seeds are also being used for medicinal and lighting purposes. The Castor may be used to make manure and plant stalks as fuel or as thatching material or for preparing paper-pulp. Castor leaves are being fed to silkworms. Castor belongs to the family of “Euphorbiaceae and genus of “Ricinus L.”. Castor is indigenous to the Eastern Africa, south-eastern Mediterranean Basin and India, but is grown throughout tropical regions and sub-tropical regions of the world. Castor seeds contain between 45 % and 60 % of oil that is rich in triglycerides, mainly ricinolein. Commercial growing of Castor seeds is very much successful due to its demand in local and international markets. In India, this crop is grown where annual rainfall is expected below the national average and the soil is not that fertile.
Castor Oil Uses and Benefits:- The following are some of the uses and benefits of Castor oil.
Note:This plant is also the source of the deadly poison ricin. Do not eat the unprocessed seeds. Do not use any of its products without consulting your doctor.
- Castor Oil Heals Inflamed Skin.
- Castor Oil Fights Signs Of Ageing.
- Castor Oil Reduces Acne.
- Castor Oil Moisturises Skin.
- Castor Oil Fades Blemishes.
- Castor Oil Moisturises Skin.
- Castor Oil Fades Blemishes.
- Castor Oil Promotes Hair Growth.
- Castor Oil Treats Scalp Infections.
- Castor Oil Prevents Premature hair Graying.
- Castor Oil Prevents Stretch Marks.
- Castor Oil Reduces Pigmentation.
- Castor Oil Acts As A Laxative.
- Castor Oil Reduces Joint Pain/Arthritis.
- Castor Oil Boosts Immunity.
Castor in Indian Languages:- Arandi (Hindi), Amudalu (Telugu), ஆமணக்கு (Tamil), Hrllennnne (Kannada), Erandela (Marathi), ആവണക്കെണ്ണ (Malayalam), Rerira (Bengali), Divela( Gujarati).
Castor Varieties:- The varieties (cultivars) of castor differ in the branching habits of plant, colour of the stem and branches, the nature of capsules , duration, the size of seed and oil content. Here are some of the high yielding castor varieties available in India; NPH-1, GAUCH-4, YRCH 1,TMV 5, TMV 6, CO 1 and TMVCH.
Climate Required for Castor Cultivation:- Castor crop can be grown from sea level to altitudes of about 1000 meter (m.s.l). Castor crop requires a hot, dry climate with annual rainfall of 500-800 mm, of which 500-600 mm is needed during the first 3 months of crop growth. Castor is an ideal crop for marginal lands of the Dry Zone where it can be grown under both rainfed and irrigated conditions. This crop is sensitive to high humidity and high temperatures above 40°C and impacts the crop yield.
Soil Requirement for Castor Cultivation:- Generally, Castor is cultivated in lands which are not suitable for commercial farming. Castor can come up well in soils that are not that fertile and soils having less annual rainfall. Castor seeds can be grown on a wide range of soils which are fairly deep and well drained. The most suitable soils for castor cultivation are deep, moderately fertile, with slightly acidic conditions and well drained sandy loam soils. The ideal soil pH of soils should be around 6.0 for better yield. However, it can be cultivated on soils with pH range of 5.0 to 8.5.
Land Preparation for Castor Cultivation:- Land preparation is an important task in Castor cultivation. Give 3 or 4 deep ploughings to loosen up the soil as this crop requires well pulverized 40 cm deep loose sub-soil for good seed germination. Land or seed bed should be weed free and any weeds from previous crops should be removed. The clods should be crushed by using a country plough or harrow with onset of monsoons.
Seed Rate in Castor Cultivation:- A seed rate of 10 to 12 kg is more than enough to cover 1 hectare land. Again, seed rate depends on cultivar (Variety) and sowing method.
Seed Treatment in Castor Cultivation:- It is recommended to treat the seeds with Carbendazim @ 2 grams/kg of seed for preventing seed borne diseases like root-rot and Alternaria blight. Soaking the seeds in water for 18 to 20 hours is advised. In rainfed situations, seed priming with 1% Kcl for 3 hours and sowing 7 days before onset of monsoon is recommended.
Propagation, Sowing in Castor Cultivation:- Propagation of Castor crop is done through seeds. Castor bean is usually planted just before the rainy season in the month of June. However, it can be cultivated throughout the year in areas where irrigation facility is available. The spacing adopted generally ranges from 90-120 cm between rows and 40-60 cm between plants in the row. The seed should be sown either by plough furrow or with a seed-drill or by hand-dibbling.
Gap Filling in Castor Cultivation:- Gap fill should be carried out on the 15th day of sowing and simultaneously thinning should be done leaving one healthy plant.
Irrigation in Castor Cultivation:- Rainfed crops don’t need any irrigation. However, in irrigated crop, water should be provided weekly twice. Frequency of irrigation depends on the soil type, climate and crop stage.
Weed Management in Castor Cultivation:- Weed control is very important in any crop as it impacts the overall yield as weeds compete for nutrients, fertilizers, manures and water. One or two weedings and hoeings with bullock-drawn implements should be given and sometimes, the plants should be earthed up. Chemical weed control like weedicides can also be effective to prevent the weed growth. Apply pre emergence herbicide Pendimethalin @ 3 liter/ha or Fluchloralin @ 2 liter/ha on 3 days after sowing followed by hand weeding twice on 21 st & 40th day after sowing the seed.
Inter-crop in Castor Cultivation:– Farmers can earn some extra income by going for inter crops. Groundnut / Peanut, black gram, green gram can be cultivated along with Castor crop. For every row of Castor, 6 rows of peanut or black gram can be cultivated. Intercropping of castor with Green gram or Black gram in 1:2 ratio is recommended for rainfed condition. Intercropping of castor with onion in 1:2 ratio by adopting 1.5 x 1.0 m spacing is recommended for irrigated condition.
Manures and Fertilizers in Castor Cultivation:- Spread 12 to 13 tonnes/ha of well decomposed farm yard manure (FYM) or compost evenly on the main field before last ploughing and incorporate in to soil by working a country plough. Apply 25 kg sulphur/ ha through gypsum at the time of last ploughing for higher castor yield. Timely application of manures and fertilizers ensures the good crop growth and yield. The castor crop requires a fertilizer dose of N: P: K as 40:40:20 kg/ha. As a basal application, apply full dose of ‘P’ and ‘K’ and half dose of ‘N’.The remaining half dose of ‘N’ should be applied 1 month after sowing when the soil moisture is adequate.
Pests and Diseases in Castor Cultivation:– The common and serious pests in Castor cultivation are capsule-borer and semi-looper. To control these pests, dusting BHC 10% in early stages or spraying 0.1% Carbaryl on the crop should be carried. The other soil borne diseases like seedling blight and Alternaria blight are also major concerns in Castor crop. Water logged areas; low-lying areas should be avoided to prevent the seedling blight. To control Alternaria blight, follow the seed treatment as mentioned in the article.
Note: Contact your local agriculture department for pests and disease found in Castor cultivation. They are the best source for disease control solution.
Harvest in Castor Cultivation:- The maturity of the crop depends on the variety. Most of the improved cultivars mature in about 140 to 175 days. The easy indication of Castor maturity is when 1 or 2 capsules in bunch show signs of drying. The whole cluster should be removed and stacked. The harvesting of unripe capsules has an adverse effect on the oil content of the seed and these should be avoided. It is recommended to collect the fruits when they ripen. After collecting entire crop, it should be dried in sun for couple of days and threshing should be done by beating the dried capsules with the help of stick. In rural areas, farmers use bullocks for threshing these crops. Winnowing should be done in the usual manner. One can use Castor Sheller as well to separate the seeds.
Yield in Castor Cultivation:- Generally, yield of any crop depends on factors like cultivar (variety), soil type, irrigation, climate and cultural practices. On an average the following yield can be obtained.
- From rainfed crop: 250 to 500 kg/ha.
- From mixed crop: 100 to 200 kg/ha.
- From irrigated crop: 550 to 800 kg/ha.
Marketing of Castor Seeds:- Contact any oil seed companies for marketing the crop.
For Asia Farming: Read here.
For Goat or Sheep Farming Business: Read here.
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Highly informative. Thank you.
I want to start the cultivation of Castor in Nigeria.
I can be one of your Major Distributors of Castor Seeds in Nigeria.
Let me know how we can go about this.
We are just information providers..not into agriculture business yet. When we are, we will work out. Thanks.
You can contact me, we are Castor seed producers
Which part of Nigeria will this castor crop grow well? And what’s this life cycle? Does it have a potential market here in Nigeria?
You should find out Nigerian department of agriculture. We are based out of India.
I enjoyed the reading. How do I plant the seed…one after other or by spreading? Can I prepare the seedling and then replant?
Seeds can be planted one after another with proper distance. The planting/seeding process is just like cotton crop.
can I know rainy season in Sokoto region?
The rainy period of the year lasts for 5 months, from May to October.
Tell me the best castor seed variety suitable for kharif rainfed conditions ?
Can this plant be cultivated in South Africa?
Yes, it can be Cultivted.
Castor can be grown in any well drained soil though it favors lighter to medium soils. water logging for more than 7-10 according to castor is not good.
Mostly hybrids are pref. over varieties as they are having more potential for yield. If you have assured source of irrigation go with GCH-7 (Certified hybrid developed by SDAU,earlier Gujarat Agricultural University) & its resistant to wilt – nematode complex. if irrigation is not assured and one wish to have rainfed crop than other like GCH-2 or GCH-6 should be pref. A complete life cycle of Castor is about 200 – 240 days. As castor is partially sensitive to frost hence sowing should be avoided in colder months (Temp below 10-15 deg cel). With satisfactory nutrient management and following recommended crop spacing (6ft x 6ft for GCH-7 in well fertile sandy loam soils) it may provide yield up-to 8000 Kg per Hectare (On experience basis in North Gujarat, India). In Gujarat India farmer averagely invest 30K to 40K per hectare (2016-17) and with average yield of 3500 Kg per Hec generate Rs 110K to 140K income in 8 months.
Its best sowing time in irrigated area?
Dear, I am from Osmanabad district of Maharashtra from India. please tell me the best castor seed variety suitable of our area, so that i can cultivate in this Kharif season.
Thanks
I can’t but thank you for this overview, it is so helpful. Thanks a bunch.
pls can i get business plan for castor farming
thanks jagdish bro …
I based in Nigeria, can i get contact of castor dealers in indian and China so we can sell to them
Very interesting and commendable. I hope to start with experimenting and research further into the opportunity therein.
Regards.
Hi everybody, I’m Selene, an agronomist.
I’m working in a project about Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) cultivation for oil production, in Italy.
Is there someone of you who could recommend me institutes or companies that could provide propagation material like new high yielding hybrids.
I’m planning to perform some field trials about the Castor bean cultivation here in Italy.
Thank you.
what can i use to treat the moluds on my caster beans? can i use any fungicides. My whole field is affected.
Informative & appreciated but how deep should the seed go into the soil during planting?
Thanks.
What about seed treatment process with chemicals in terms of chemical concentration, soaking temperature & time?
Thanks.
Good Evening All,
I am interested in castor bean farming, but I still more information. I ask someone willing to assist me to use my email above.
I m from SA.
Thanks
Am interested in growing castor seeds in Ghana , would I get a market for it?
What’s the everage market price per kilogram of caster oil seeds