[Profile of Hangbi 8]

Castor oil plant is a kind of renewable green energy crop, which among the ten oil crops in the world. It is easy to cultivate castor oil plant because of its strong adaptability and fast growth rate. Castor oil plant has high economic value for the great comprehensive development and utilization prospects of its beans, stems and leaves.

Hangbi 8 hybrid is precocious, high-yield, and has larger and more ears. This new castor hybrid is established by using space mutation breeding techniques and conventional genetic breeding techniques. Hangbi 8 has passed the appraisal of Xinjiang Yili seed certification committee in 2009. (Yili castor seed (2009) No. 1) Hangbi 8 is the first castor variety bred by space breeding inChina. The accumulated promotion area is10000 hain 2010-2012. Hangbi 8 has increased social and economic benefits 45 million yuan in 2010-2012. Because Hangbi 8 is precocious and high-yield, it has significance in agricultural and industrial production.

1. Characteristics

Hangbi 8 castor hybrid can become ripe within 88 days after the emergence of seedling. The stem of Hangbi 8 castor hybrid is purple and180cmhigh. It has 3-4 branches and 6-10 ears, and its main stem has 8-9 internodes. The length of the main ear is 60-80cm. There are small soft spines on the fruit, and its bean is oval with brown pattern. The weight of hundred beans is 40g, and the oil content of its bean is 52.3%. The male recovery rate of the main ear in F1 groups is around 30% and the male recovery rate of the ears on the first branches in F1 groups is above 50%. So the pollination of the F1 groups is good. Because the number of female flowers increases, so the number of fruit and the yield increase too. Hangbi 8 castor hybrid with vigorous growth is resistant to drought, salinity, and has well-developed roots. But Hangbi 8 castor hybrid is not resistant to waterlogging. The fruit of Hangbi 8 castor hybrid would not burst and drop, and can easily be harvested and hulled.

The average yield of Hangbi 8 is3375Kg/ha inZibo, Tongliao, Tongyu, Huocheng in the regional trial all overChinain 2009-2011. The yield of Hangbi 8 increased 9.7% and Hangbi 8 become ripe 9 days earlier compared to Zibima 2. There was serious drought inQianan,Jilin,Chinain 2010. All of the maize was dead but the yield of Hangbi 8 is still1125Kg/ha. In 2011, the temperature in North China was lower and the weather was wetter, most of seedlings are dead but Hangbi 8 showed its characteristics, the yield of which is still above3000Kg/ha.The yield of Hangbi 8 could be5760Kg/ha when high-yield cultivation.

3. Cultural Techniques

(1) Soil choosing and Sowing

Flat or sloping land, which is not water logging, is enough to plant Hangbi 8 castor hybrid. It is better to be planted in loose and fertile land with deep soil and high content of organic matter. Hangbi 8 castor hybrid become growing when the temperature is over10℃, and is better to be promoted in North China, Northeast China, and Northwest China where the frost-free period must be over 120 days and the effective accumulated temperature over10℃must be no less than2500℃. In North China, it is sowed in early 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.

(2) Planting Specification

The plant of Hangbi 8 castor hybrid is compact and its height is middle. Hangbi 8 is early flowering and precocious. The general planting density is 10000plants/ha because castor oil plant is large and has developed root system. In fertile land, the density is 9000plants/ha. And 12000-13500plants/ha could be better in dry land, wasteland and thin soil. 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.

(3) Field Management

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, 375-450Kg/ha fertilizer should be applied, and 450-750Kg/ha fertilizer should be applied when high-yield cultivation. Hangbi 8 is vigorous growth and has developed root system, so the main management is controlling water. 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. Vigorous seedlings should be reserved, and small seedlings and sick seedlings should be removed. Apply 150-225Kg/ha urea when flowering. Along with irrigating, 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.

4. Harvesting and Hulling

Hangbi 8 castor hybrid has larger and more ears. The fruit of Hangbi 8 castor hybrid would not burst and drop, and can easily be harvested and hulled by machine. In area where frost-free period below 120 days, it can be harvested by machine in one time. In area where frost-free period over 130 days, it must be harvested in several times because the main ear becomes ripe first, and ears on the branches become ripe later. The harvesting process could be divided into 2-3 stages. 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. 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.

Shandong Jiaxiang Castor Seed Co., Ltd. CHINA