Castor
Ricinus communis
Importance
It was poor man's crop
Globalization changed the scenario
Now it is one of the most commercial non-edible oil seed
Its stem, leaves, seeds, oil and cake are useful
Oil - variety of uses
o Industrial
o Lubrication- including ‘aero-engines’
o Medicine- both human and veterinary
Oil cake - manure
Stalk - fuel or thatching
Leaves - used for rearing silk worms
Castor oil
o Purgative as medicinally as cathartic & obstetrics
o Skin ointment
o Soothing agent to eye applied after removal of foreign bodies
o As resins
Surface coating to household articles, furniture, refrigerators
Base materials for several paints, enamels & varnishes of
superquality
o Manufacture of leathers, adhesives, synthetic perfumes & flavors
o Variety of rubber goods, hair oils
o Clear bright colors in dying fabrics
o For soaking raw skins in fur trade
Origin
Indigenous to Eastern Africa
o Most probably in Ethiopia
o There are four large centres based on wild varieties
Irano-Afghanistan-USSR region
Palestine-SW Asia
India China
Arabian peninsular
World scenario of castor – (million ha & million T)
Country Area Production Productivity
India 1.05 1.00 0.95
China 0.24 0.28 1.17
Brazil 0.12 0.05 0.37
Thailand 0.02 0.02 0.79
World 1.58 1.42 0.90
38
Ricinus communis
Importance
It was poor man's crop
Globalization changed the scenario
Now it is one of the most commercial non-edible oil seed
Its stem, leaves, seeds, oil and cake are useful
Oil - variety of uses
o Industrial
o Lubrication- including ‘aero-engines’
o Medicine- both human and veterinary
Oil cake - manure
Stalk - fuel or thatching
Leaves - used for rearing silk worms
Castor oil
o Purgative as medicinally as cathartic & obstetrics
o Skin ointment
o Soothing agent to eye applied after removal of foreign bodies
o As resins
Surface coating to household articles, furniture, refrigerators
Base materials for several paints, enamels & varnishes of
superquality
o Manufacture of leathers, adhesives, synthetic perfumes & flavors
o Variety of rubber goods, hair oils
o Clear bright colors in dying fabrics
o For soaking raw skins in fur trade
Origin
Indigenous to Eastern Africa
o Most probably in Ethiopia
o There are four large centres based on wild varieties
Irano-Afghanistan-USSR region
Palestine-SW Asia
India China
Arabian peninsular
World scenario of castor – (million ha & million T)
Country Area Production Productivity
India 1.05 1.00 0.95
China 0.24 0.28 1.17
Brazil 0.12 0.05 0.37
Thailand 0.02 0.02 0.79
World 1.58 1.42 0.90
38
