1. Castor as an Industrial Feedstock for Texas
Calvin Trostle Dick Auld
Extension Agronomist Plant & Soil Sciences
Texas AgriLife Extension Service Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock
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2. Castor in Texas (Ricinus communis L.)
Seed Yield: 900-3,000 lbs./A
Oil Content: 45 to 60% ( gal/A)
Fatty Acids: 85% ricinoleic acid
Disadvantages: Ricin & Allergens
Advantages: High Oil Yields, Highly Valuable Oil, Widely Adapted
Castor is listed as a strategic commodity by the Federal government

3. Castor History in Texas
Produced in Plainview area through the early 1970s (up to 50,000 acres/year)
Ricin issue requires strict adherence to safe handling & complete separation from food and feed markets
Texas Dept. of Ag. considers castor a noxious weed hence production issues may arise; Homeland Security has an interest, too

4. Current Castor Research in Texas
Breeding at Texas Tech Univ.
Low ricin line now released
Statewide assessment of castor adaptation
Additional State of Texas funding including:
N fertility
Planting date & assessing new varieties
Herbicide testing (only trifluralin is labeled)
Harvest aids & seed fungicide treatments
Use of denatured meal for feed & establishment of regulatory guidelines for castor meal use

5. Development of Castor as a New Feedstock for Renewable Fuels
Non-Food Crops:
(Ricinoleic Acid & Ricin)
Adapted to Marginal Areas:
(Drought & Salt Tolerance)
Optimize Yields and Farmer Profits:
(Oil Yield & Mechanization)
(Reduced Ricin Meals)
Produce Premium Quality Biofuels:
(Reduce Viscosity of Oil)

6. Future Castor Research
Reduced
Ricin Toxin
Improved
Water Use
Genetic Yield
Enhancement

7. Use Of Conventional Genetics to Reduce Ricin Levels in Castor
PI (VNIIMK 1151)
PI ( Early Hybrid)
2.5 mg/g Ricin + RCA120
Hale (1970 Release by Ray Brigham)
14.0 mg/g Ricin + RCA120

8. Conventional Genetics to Reduce Ricin Levels in Castor
Release TTU LRC Germplasm
Crop Sci 43 :
Release of ‘Brigham’ Castor
Hale = 4,210 ug/ml (38% Total Proteins)
Brigham = 416 ug/ml (4% Total Proteins)
2012 – Future Castor Varieties
McKeon = 40 ug/ml (0.4% Total Proteins)

9. Dryland Castor Production--Brazil

13. Drought Tolerance

14. Salt Tolerance
Pecos, TX

15. Hybrid Vigor

16. Genetic Diversity

17. Potential Cellulosic Biomass Feedstock

18. Potential Texas Castor Production
High Yielding & Adapted Varieties
Castor can readily meet the 100 gal/A goal
Compatible With Existing Rotation
Optimally with cotton/other crops not harvested for grain so castor volunteer is not an issue
Drought & Salt Tolerant Varieties
Would enable production in areas of the state with little food or feed grains
Cost Effective & Sustainable Production

19. Castor Potential
High potential for profitability based on current oil market of ~$10-12/gallon for filtered oil after crushing
Castor oil’s role is in industrial waxes, greases, high temperature lubrication
Initial interest in jet fuel has waned due to difficulty making the fuel
“Don’t waste castor oil on making biofuel.”

20. Castor Concerns Combine must be dedicated to castor only
Trucks, other hauling equipment must be meticulously cleaned
A few castor seeds will require rejection of corn, sorghum, etc. if market is for food or feed
No significant seed supply at this point
Semi-dwarf ‘Hale’ could be increased quickly
No current crushing facility for oil extraction
Any facility must be dedicated to castor or industrial non-food uses

21. Castor Production Susceptible to cotton root rot
Minimum 140 days of growth, but crop remains indeterminant, and can produce for 180 days
Plainview, northern Rolling Plains—Plant after early May, but before mid-June

22. Castor Production 1-2 seeds/foot
Requires major fertility program for N, P, maybe K
Direct cut combine harvest on shorter varieties possible using an all crop header without modification, esp. if growth regulators are used
Harvest aids enable earlier harvest to reduce shattering?
Growth regulators to shorten plant for conventional combine harvest?

23. Research and Extension Dr. John B. Morris (USDA-ARS)
Acknowledgement
Texas AgriLife
Research and Extension
Dr. Travis Miller
Dr. John B. Morris (USDA-ARS)
Griffin, GA

24. Funding provided by
This event also made possible, in part, by generous support from the City of Plainview Convention & Visitors Bureau.