Typical yield
1.8 t/ha
Varieties
2
Pest/Disease
7
Seasons
3
Profile
- Growth habit
- annual
- Lifecycle (days)
- 120–180
- Primary uses
- Oilseed (castor oil), industrial uses; ornamental (toxic seeds)
- Pollination
- wind
- Origin / distribution
- Northeast Africa; grown across semi-arid tropics incl. East Africa
Environment
Climate
Temp optimal
20–30 °C
Rain optimal
400–800 mm/yr
Altitude
0–2000 m
Soil
pH optimal
6–7.5
Soil type
Well-drained loam/sandy loam; tolerates marginal soils but dislikes waterlogging
Farmer Guide
Row spacing
90 cm
Plant spacing
60 cm
Depth
3 cm
Seed rate
12 kg/ha
Nursery days
Planting: Direct seed at onset of rains into a firm, well-drained seedbed. Thin to spacing. Avoid waterlogging at establishment.
Transplanting: Not typical; taproot sensitive to disturbance.
Irrigation: Generally rainfed; ensure moisture at germination, branching and flowering; avoid prolonged drought at flowering.
Fertigation: Under irrigation, apply small N splits through early flowering; avoid excess N late (lodging).
Pest scouting: Scout weekly for whiteflies, jassids (leafhoppers), aphids and capsule borers; monitor for Alternaria leaf spot and wilt.
Pruning/Training: No pruning; rogue off-types; stake in windy areas for tall types.
Harvest: Harvest when capsules turn brown and begin to dry; pick in 2–3 rounds to minimize shattering; dry and thresh carefully.
Postharvest: Dry to safe moisture before storage; castor seed and cake are toxic—handle with PPE; avoid feed use unless detoxified.
Nutrient Schedule
| # | Stage | DAP | Product | Rate | Targets (kg/ha) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basal | 0 | DAP 18-46-0 | 80 kg/ha | N: —, P₂O₅: —, K₂O: — | Place 5–8 cm from seed; avoid seed burn |
| 2 | Topdress 1 | 35 | CAN 26% N | 100 kg/ha | N: —, P₂O₅: —, K₂O: — | Apply on moist soil or before rain/irrigation |
| 3 | Topdress 2 (optional) | 55 | Urea 46% N | 40 kg/ha | N: —, P₂O₅: —, K₂O: — | Only if crop is pale/light soils; avoid excess late N |
Nutrient Requirements
| Nutrient | Stage | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | Basal | 40 | kg/ha |
| P₂O₅ | Basal | 30 | kg/ha |
| K₂O | Basal | 30 | kg/ha |
| N | Topdress | 40 | kg/ha |
| K₂O | Topdress | 10 | kg/ha |
Images
| Name | Country | Maturity | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Castor | KE | 150 | Adapted landrace; drought tolerant |
| High-oil hybrid (generic) | TZ | 140 | Improved oil content; uniform capsules |
| Stage | Product | Rate (kg/ha) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basal | NPK 15-15-15 | 80 | |
| Basal | DAP 18-46-0 | 80 | |
| Topdress | CAN 26% N | 100 | At branching (30–40 DAP) |
| Optional | Urea 46% N | 40 | Light top-up at early flowering if needed |
| Name | Type | Symptoms | Management |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capsules borer | pest | Bored capsules | Monitoring; IPM |
| Whitefly | pest | Sooty mold from honeydew; virus risk | Yellow sticky traps; conserve natural enemies; selective sprays if needed |
| Jassids (leafhoppers) | pest | Leaf curling, yellowing | Early sowing; tolerant varieties; targeted control if thresholds exceeded |
| Aphids | pest | Clusters on shoots; stunting | Natural enemies; oils/soaps or selective insecticides |
| Capsule/Spotted pod borer | pest | Bored capsules, seed loss | Sanitation; timely picking; rotate actives if spraying |
| Alternaria leaf spot | disease | Concentric leaf spots, defoliation | Wider spacing; avoid overhead irrigation; protectants if severe |
| Fusarium wilt / root rot | disease | Wilting, vascular browning | Rotation 3–4 yrs; well-drained soils; healthy seed |
| System | Typical | Min | Max | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rainfed | 1.2 | 0.5 | 2 | |
| rainfed smallholder | 1.5 | 0.8 | 2.5 | Clean seed |
| irrigated / improved | 2.8 | 1.8 | 3.5 | Good fertility + pest control |
| Country | Region | Planting | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| KE | Semi-arid | Mar–Apr | Aug–Nov |
| KE | Semi-arid & mid-altitudes (long rains) | Mar–Apr | Jul–Sep |
| KE | Semi-arid & mid-altitudes (short rains) | Oct–Nov | Feb–Apr |
| Country | Region | Suitability |
|---|---|---|
| ET | Low to mid-altitude drylands | High |
| KE | Eastern & Rift Valley semi-arid | High |
| KE | Semi-arid | High |
| KE | Waterlogged/coastal swamp | Low |
| TZ | Central & Northern zones | High |
| UG | Dry savanna | Medium |