[Profile of Zibi 5]

Zibi 5 is established in Shandong Jiaxinag Castor Institute using the multiple-ear castor female line (maternal line) and the paternal line which is introduced fromThailand. The paternal line is resistant to disease and has red stem and large bean. This high-yield hybrid is established through two-line method. This kind of hybrid has excellent quality, high photosynthetic efficiency and larger and more ears and is high-yield, resistant to disease, vigorous-growth. The promotion area of Zibi5 inChinais the largest.

1. Characteristics

Zibi 5 hybrid is mid-precocious and can become ripe within 96 days after the emergence of seedling. The stem of Zibi 5 is light purple and200cmhigh. The main stem is50cmhigh and has 9-10 internodes. Zibi 5 has 4-5 branches, dark green leaves and 6-18 ears which are all Pagoda-like. The main ear is 50-110cmlong and the small soft spines on the fruit are intensive. The bean of Zibi 5 is oval with brown pattern. The weight of hundred beans is 41-45g, and the oil content of its bean is 53%. Zibi 5 castor hybrid with vigorous growth is resistant to drought, salinity, and has well-developed roots. But Zibi 5 castor hybrid is not resistant to waterlogging. The fruit of Zibi 5 castor hybrid would not burst and drop.

2. Yield Performance

The general yield is4500Kg/ha, and the yield could be5250Kg/ha when high-yield cultivation.The yield of Zibi 5 is the first in regional trial all over China in 2002-2005. The average yield is3900 Kg/ha in Suihua (47 degrees north latitude),HeilongjiangProvince,Chinaduring 2007-2008.

3. Environment condition

Zibi 5 castor hybrid can be promoted in North China, Northeast China, Yunnan, Guangxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, and Southeast Asia where the frost-free period must be over 120 days and the effective accumulated temperature over10℃must be no less than2600℃.

4. Planting Specification

Zibi 5 has many branches and big ears. The yield of one single plant is rather high (1500gper plant). So the planting density of Zibi 5 can not be too big. The general planting density is 10000plants/ha. In fertile land, the density is 7500-9000plants/ha. Castor oil plant is planted in rows which are not the same as wide. In order to facilitate management, the wide row and the narrow row are arranged one by one. The wide row is 140-150cmand the narrow row is 60-80cm. Using plastic film which is 90-120cmwide to cover the rows.

5. Cultural Techniques

(1) Soil choosing and Fertilization

It is better to be planted in loose and fertile land with deep soil. The land must be flat and has good irrigation and drainage facilities. The basic fertilizer should be applied before plowing, and organic fertilizer or Manure is recommended. Three element compound fertilizer (The component of N, P, K are all 15% respectively) should be applied too. Generally, 300-450Kg/ha fertilizer should be applied, and 450-750Kg/ha fertilizer should be applied when high-yield cultivation.

(2) Sowing

Zibi 5 castor hybrid become growing when the temperature is over10℃, and the optimum growing temperature is 25-28℃. InNorth China, it is sowed in middle April. In Northeast andNorthwest China, it is sowed in late April. InSouth China, it should be sowed after the rainy-spring season. Dry the seed before sowing. When sowed, two seeds are sowed per hole and then 2-5cmthick soil layer is covered over the hole. Compact the soil lightly. Only when the moisture in the soil is enough, 100% seedling emergence could be guaranteed.

(3) Seedlings Arrangement

When seedlings emerge, check the seedlings and transplant seedlings. The time of final singling of seedlings is when four true leaves emerge. Only one plant/hole should be retained. Seedlings with red stem should be reserved, and green-stem seedlings, small seedlings and sick seedlings should be removed. It is necessary to do intertillage, loosen the soil and extirpate weeds. Also, increasing the soil temperature, reducing excess water in the soil, avoiding excessive growth of seedlings and promoting vigorous root growth are necessary for the purpose of vigorous growth of seedlings.

(4) Bud-period Arrangement

Zibi 5 hybrid has larger and more ears and develops fast, so more nutrition and fertilizer is needed. It’s very important to strengthen fertilizer and water arrangement. Apply 150-225Kg/ha urea before flowering (8-9 leaves). Apply the fertilizer between plants and bury the fertilizer with soil in order to avoid volatility. Irrigation is needed after applying fertilizer. When irrigating, make sure that water should be slowly into the narrow rows and pouring large amount of water should be avoided.

(5) Late Management

If there is drought, irrigation is needed. Along with irrigating, apply 60-75Kg/ha urea, and spray 2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate or other leaf fertilizers like luoxiaowang, wannianfeng, fuwanjia. Thus, hundred-bean weight is increased, photosynthesis is enhanced, premature and deciduous phenomenon is avoided. Remove the top flower and terminal bud of the too vigorous-growth plant, when 40 days before frost weather begin to appear.

6. Harvesting and Hulling

When one third of the fruit on the ear become brown from green and minor cracks appear on the pericarp, the whole ear has become ripe. Cut the ear by pruning shears and take the ear to the grounds to dry it. Or strip the fruit down from the ear and put them into Plastic woven bag, and then take them to the grounds to dry it. The main ear becomes ripe first, and ears on the branches become ripe later. So the harvesting process could be divided into 2-3 stages. After the fruits have been dried, hull them by castor hulling machine. Remember that the drier the fruit, the easier the hulling. If the fruit is not dry enough, it will be crushed when hulled. After hulling, the castor bean can not be dried by sunlight so as to avoid storage time reduction caused by testa rupture. “5TB-A” hulling machine which is made by our company is recommended.500kgbean can be hulled by this machine and 98% of the bean is clean. Using such machine, only 1.5% of bean is crushed