Do’s and Don’ts of Castor Cultivation

Posted on November 19, 2013 by admin

Here is a brief blog post which helps the castor farmers to understand the do’s and do not’s while cultivating castor. Article excerpts from http://www.ikisan.com

For proper tilth and good seed bed preparation, plough the land immediately after pre-monsoon showers followed by 2-3 harrowings with blade harrow after rains.
Farmers are required to purchase the hybrid seed from authorised registered seed agent and ensure its viability
However, they need not renew seed stock of their improved varieties every year.
Using certified seed once obtained from authorised agencies/sources, interested farmers can easily meet their requirement of quality seeds and maintain the varieties for atleast 3-4 years without any appreciable deterioration.
Seed may be treated with Thiram or Bavistin 3g/kg seed to protect from seed borne diseases like Alternaria leaf blight, seedling blight and wilt.
A plant population of 55,500/ha has been found to be optimum for rainfed castor in all regions
For achieving required plant stands in dry lands, a seed rate of 10-15 kg/ha is adequate depending on seed size.
The optimum date of sowing for castor in Andhra Pradesh is first fortnight of June.
Plough with single seed drill help in placement of seed at appropriate moist zone and ensures better germination and growth.
As far as possible place the seed in a moist zone 10-12cm below the soil surface to ensure proper moist soil seed contact for sufficiently long period and thereby obtain good germination.

Kaiima Seed Tech Company of Israel Gets $65 Million

Posted on October 28, 2013 by admin

Kaima seed company of Israel, has received $65 million investment to continue developing its technology for edible wheat, corn, and rice markets,and castor biodiesel.

Investors include the socially conscious Horizons Ventures, managing the private pay-it-forward investments of Li Ka-shing (Horizon previously invested in Facebook and the Israeli startup Waze); the International Financial Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group; and Infinity Group.

Kaiima currently has a commercial product available for castor plants. Read more:

http://www.greenprophet.com/2013/10/israel-kaiima-seed-tech-company-raises-65-million/

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Castor Seed Futures for August 2013 declines

Posted on July 24, 2013 by admin

The trend castor seed futures for August delivery on India’s National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) is negative and further downward movement is expected from current levels. NCDEX castor seed for August 2013 delivery was seen trading down by 0.32% at Rs.3480 per 100 kgs on July 18.

Columbia welcomes castor biodiesel production

Posted on October 15, 2012 by admin

In the current day world, as fossil fuel demands continue to peak in a regular way, people look for alternate options especially the renewable oils which has a great tendency to produce a positive impact in the transportation sector. Although different vegetable oils are proven to act as sources for bio-fuel synthesis,several find constraints due to their extensive applications as vital ingredients in food. However, castor oil being under the non-edible oil class, turns to be a gifted candidate in this regard for ready exploitation to feed the locomotive engines.

Recently, an Argentinian oil company Oil Fox has come with an overseas initiative to produce biodiesel from castor and algae in Columbia. According to the spokesman from the producer firm, they plan to commission a production facility for 500 million litres on an annual basis with an investment over US$ 150 million. They further indicate that the plant will function in collaboration with two academic institutes and a local firm for technical and raw material procurement support respectively. It is interesting to see that the company concerned has already been in castor biodiesel production business in Argentina since 1999.

Castor plant seems to be an appropriate choice not only due to its non-edible nature but also for its inherent property to grow on marginal lands under rain-fed conditions.Hence it has a capability to create sustainable biodiesel operation right from farmers’ field to industrial and consumer environments. Also when the final product from castor oil is optimized well to suit the demands of engines, castor bean shall be a good oilseed crop for these natural wealth rich South American nations where cultivation of it is already in practice.

For reference: http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?monthyear=&day=11&id=56041&l=e&special=&ndb=1%20target=

Applauds for castor research in India

Posted on June 4, 2012 by admin

India carries an agricultural pride by nature as a leading zone in the world for cultivation and production of castor seed and oil, industrially reputed commodities today. To sustain this position research on the oilseed crop is fundamental and is being performed in a consistent way throughout the country across various institutions.Recently TNAU, a premier agricultural institute in South India has been awarded the “Best Castor Centre Award,’ for 2011, by Indian Council for Agricultural Research, New Delhi along with a shield, certificate, a citation and Rs.5,000, presented by Dr K S Varaprasad, Project Director, Directorate of Oil Seeds Researech, Hyderabad at the All India Annual Research Workers Group Meet on Castor at Yercaud. To signify it was TNAU’ release of a variety of castor called YRCH 1 in 2009 from Tapioca and Castor Research Station (TCRS) whose field performance made it popular among TN farmers for widespread cutivation.

As demand for castor oil mounts up globally, promoting research activities will galvanize its scope of cultivation and boost up rural economy to a greater extent in the country.

For reference: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/best-castor-centre-award-to-tnau-research-station/1003162.html

Play off between castor oil and bio-components of human intestine

Posted on May 29, 2012 by admin

It is not astonishing to see the action of this oil from castor seed on administration of it as a remedy to gastro-intestinal disorders across humans of all the ages in the world. Even then mystery with castor oil has remained all throughout the ages over the way this edible laxative works in physical system to display conditions of stool emergency. With science as a tool for facts, researchers at a German centre, The Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research finally have unraveled the mode by which castor oil expresses its functionality in the human body. Authours of the study report that it is exciting to watch that cells in intestine harbours a receptive protein called, EP3 that recognizes the ingested castor oil and mediates cells and their constituents to elicit the laxative effect. Following a robust experimental analysis in animal models to attribute the sensory factors of castor oil derived ricinoleic acid, scientific experts and critical analysts believe that there could be a modulation brought about in the human body to selectively harvest the therapeutic activities and avoiding irritating side effects from castor oil.

For reference: http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/5608/scientists-uncover-mechanism-behind-ancient-drug

Castor oil to aid healing of wounds and cuts

Posted on May 17, 2012 by admin

It is obvious to us that several plants act as excellent sources of chemicals with medicinal value which dwell either in a definite organ or whole bio-system.Castor seed oils are not an exception to this storage nature of plants where constituents in it tend to display therapeutic activities to cure the physical discomforts directly or indirectly.

With continued scope for natural products in global pharma divisions, a recent press release from firm, Morinda Bioactives, USA which it claims to be specialized in formulation of drugs on phyto-chemicals has reported that its launch of a new stream of drugs called Shield Biomedicals at International Leadership Conference Salt Lake City, Utah, contain castor oil derived chemicals as base ingredients to contribute for moisture retention function. As per the manufacturer’ statement, their ointment formulation with castor oil is a home remedy to wounds and burns etc with pain relieving properties.

Information source such as this keeps boosting the potential of castor oil in high value market sectors which the producer nations should realize well to upgrade their line of products from this vegetable oil, gifted for industries.

For reference: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/10/4480034/morinda-bioactives-releases-new.html

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Castor cultivation for Cambodian regional progression

Posted on May 8, 2012 by admin

Industrially vital Castor plant continues to expand its geographical horizon in Asiatic agro zones with business proposals to develop from it a stable supply chain for demands and sustainability. It can be exemplified from Cambodia where a 10 year business development plan to establishment a firm called “Adalidda Castor”, the first of its type, will be operating on integrated supply chain aspects of Castor cultivation and oil extraction etc. Project developers have indicated that the cost for establishment of firm would be US$ 16 million and initiatives include castor cultivation on 20,000 hectares of land, oil processing and contact farming with locals. This Castor project is a joint venture between a consultancy in Cambodia and a venture capital company according to sources and execution of it would be made in two phases.

It is exciting to note that “Adalidda Castor” project has provisions for crop management by software systems and optimistic developers of the study say that benefits could be reaped through direct employment for 719 people, revenues for 20,000 households in contract farming, capacity building for farm workers and their families through education and medical facilities, apart from principal investors and other stakeholders’ advantages in the supply chain.

For reference: http://www.ongreen.com/sites/ongreen.com/files/business_plan-adalidda_castort-january_2012.pdf

Evolution of organic castor oil from India

Posted on April 27, 2012 by admin

Castor oil as we know a reputed raw material for industrial chemicals is often cultivated and processed in fields and oil mills respectively with synthetic inputs to make it available in bulk with desired properties. However, such pretreatments are longer a valid aspect when oil with quality and sustainability is required for certain subset of applications as production of pure natural cosmetics and related skin care products. This conditional demand faced by Wala Heilmittel GmbH, a German firm to market its completely natural skin products based of cold pressed castor oil had made it to formulate an approach of synthetic components free, organic castor oil exchange with India, involving mutual benefits for growers, processors and consumers. Christine Ellinger, a scientific representative of the firm initiated her actions via contacts with an Indian NGO called Satvik which then functioned with team of eco-minded farmers in cultivation of crops. Her financial assistance to NGO’ advisory council and efforts of Institute of Market Ecology (IMO) certification for product quality successfully boosted up the cultivation of organic castor and the agenda of German firm reached up its peak with co-ordinated assistance from a like minded castor oil entrepreneur, Mr:Nanalal Satra in Gujarat whose dedicated processing facility for organic castor oil production yielded the German raw material of choice ultimately from India.

The face of organic oil cultivation did not wipe off with German initiatives in India but has steadily grown today to a level of 277 tons of castor beans on approximately 1,175 hectares of land with oil yields in excess to supply other prospective companies. The outcomes so far have been fruitful with social and environmental responsibilities and significantly created economic independence for farmers, especially those in Northern arid regions of Kutch who suffered a nightmare in the earthquakes of Gujarat in 2001.

For reference: http://www.wala.de/english/quality/cultivation-projects/organic-castor-oil-from-india/

Castor-An Effective Mitigant of GHG Emissions

Posted on April 19, 2012 by admin

Castor oil, an universally reputed vegetable oil finds inexhaustible applications in numerous industrial sectors with special references to bio-polymer, lubricant, pharmaceutical and surfactant domains. In the list of vegetable oils for biofuels, castor oil equally reserves its position as a promising source but often its demand in non-energy sector and volatile global market availability has shadowed the contribution of castor to sustainable biofuel development. To circumvent the limitations and harness the carbon credits of castor biodiesel and related environmental advantages, German firm Evogene subjected biodiesel from its high yielding lines of castor to GHG life cycle assessment (LCA).

To best realize the complete environmental impacts of castor biodieel as LCA, Symbiotic Engineering conducted the study in two different locations, USA and Brazil for Evogene’ product. Astonishingly, the results indicated that biodiesel production coupled to use from castor reduced GHG emissions by 90 & 75% in USA and Brazil respectively.

Manufacturers of this biofuel were deeply impressed with energy and ecological weightage of castor and Mr. Assaf Oron, Evogene’s EVP Strategy and Business Development announced that “The results of the LCA strengthen our belief in castor bean”.

For reference:http://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/life-cycle-analysis-of-evogene-castor-bean-based-biodiesel-shows-90-emissions-reduction-compared-to-petroleum

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