Detail:

This creates a large amount of empty shells of castor pods which, like any other farm litter, wouldbbe seen as nothing but waste. Jethabhai and Punjabhai Kamariya of Shakrana village have developed an organic manure, using these waste shells of castor pods in combination with the leaves of mango trees and castor plants, cow dung, and other farm waste. A pit is dug at the bottom of which the mango and castor leaves, and other farm waste, are thinly layered. Above this layer, about two cart-loads of animal dung and urine are deposited. Approximately 800-1000 kg of empty shells of castor pods and gobar gas or biogas plant slurry are alternately layered to bring it to the level of the ground surface. Finally, a special kind of soil known as tas-moram or a kind of gravelly soil is spread in a layer on it. Many farmers in Saurashtra incorporate tas-moram into the furrows of the field where the groundnut crop is to be sown, as they believe it helps in loosening the soil and facilitates peg penetration during ploughing. The contents of the pit are then allowed to decompose for 4-6 month. After this, the decomposed manure is loaded on a bullock-cart or tractor and spread through the field before the farmer sows the next crop of groundnut. Last year, Jethabhai applied about six to eight cart-loads of this manure through one bigha or 0.16 ha of groundnut crop.According to Jethabhai, applying this manure has increased the yield of the groundnut crop by about 100 kg per bigha, which means an increase of 35% over the average yield.This could partly be attributed to the pesticidal properties of this natural manure.Some other farmers found this manure to be effective against aphids and some fungal diseases,which could cause 10-50% yield loss in infected crops. Punjabhai Kamariya, another farmer, says that it also helps in reducing termite infestation in the following winter wheat crop.

Knowledge Provider / Innovator: Jethabhai Punjabhai Kamriya
Agro-Ecological Zone: Arid western plains
Address: Shakarana
District: Junagadh
State: Gujarat
PIN Code 362001

Crop: Castor
Crop Family: Euphorbiaceae
Crop Scientific Name: (Ricinus communis)
Crop Vernacular Name: Aerando
Formulation: Approximately 800-1000 kg of empty shells of castor pods and gobargas or bio-gas plant slurry are alternately layered to bring it to the level of the ground surface. Finally, a special kind of soil known as tas-moram or a kind of gravelly soil is spread in a layer on it.
Ingredients: Approximately 800 to 1000 kilogrammes empty castor pod shells, leaves of mango, leaves ofcastor, animal dung and urine, gobar gas (bio-gas) plant slurry, tas-moram (a kind of gravelly soil), other farm waste.

---

PAS 1:

"Castor oil
plant: Botany,Ecology and uses"
https://www.ijsr.net/archive/v3i5/MDIwMTMyMDY1.pdf

PAS 2:

"Multiferous use of castor"
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322222043_Multifarious_Uses_of_Castor_Ricinus_communis_L