Castor oil (Ricinus communus L.) is an important commercial product. The climatic conditions of Ukraine determine the possibility of growing the castor as an annual crop. At the Institute of Oilseeds NAAS studied castor collection. The aim of the work was the selection of the most promising samples of castor oil, combining a large yield potential in a narrow range of vertical distribution for optimal technological parameters of mechanical harvesting with a high content of oil in seeds and ricinolic acid in oil. In the experience of 2015-2016, the manifestation of morphological features of 17 castor bean samples was studied. The height of plants, individual samples among themselves differed more than twice. Long-brush samples of ЕР118, К374, М203, К159 are distinguished on the basis of the length of the brush. The shortest brush was observed in sample K1008. The length of the productive brush in the studied samples is from 10.7 to 32.9 cm. Most castor bean samples under favorable conditions form brushes of the second and higher orders. According to this parameter, samples of Ep118 and selection No. 38 with four inflorescences of the second order are of the greatest interest. The largest brushes of the second order are similar in size to the brushes of the first order were observed in the samples: К1127, К810, К153. The adaptability of harvesting castor beads requires that the brushes of the first and second order coincide in height with each other, since the harvester can take a maximum of 60 cm. For the sum of the productive brushes of the first and second orders, the greatest potential yield will be provided by samples K159 and K1127. Among the studied collection stands out the small seed sample K159 and the large seed samples - PRL41 and K80. The average oil content in the seeds of the collection was from 52 to 61.4%. Sample38 had the highest oil content. The content of ricinolic acid in the collection was from 70.9 to 82.9%. Samples were isolated: К134, К1008, PRL41, К430 with the content of ricinoleic acid more than 80%. The results of the study of all parameters make it possible to isolate valuable technological samples. Sample K1064 with a high technological potential of productivity, with a seed oil content of 57.2%, has a not very high content of ricinoleic acid of 74.3%. Sample K1127 with an oil content of 58.6%, a mass of 1000 seeds of 265 g, a high potential of productive brushes has a wide variation in the arrangement of brushes. Sample K134 with a oil content of 57.1%, ricinoleic acid content of 80.7% has small second-order brushes and can be used as a single-cysts in a thicker seeding.
Biodiesel - a transesterified product of non-edible castor oil
