OILSEEDS
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF
OILSEEDS
MAJOR OILSEEDS GROWN IN INDIA
GEOGRAPHICAL REQUIREMENTS OF
THE MAJOR OILSEEDS
AREAS OF PRODUCTION
METHOD OF CULTIVATION
INTRODUCTION TO OILSEEDS
VERY IMPORTANT COMMERCIAL CROPS IN INDIA.
INDIA IS THE LEADING OILSEEDS PRODUCER IN THE
WORLD.
PRODUCTION HOWEVER IS FALLING SHORT
LEADING TO IMPORTING OILSEEDS.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF OILSEEDS
THE OIL EXTRACTED FROM OILSEEDS FORMS AN
IMPORTANT ITEM OF OUR DIET.
EXTRACTED OIL IS USED AS RAW MATERIAL FOR
MANUFACTURING PAINTS, VARNISHES, SOAPS,
PERFUMES, LUBRICANTS, etc.
OIL CAKE IS A BY-PRODUCT OBTAINED AFTER THE
EXTRACTION OF OIL FROM OILSEEDS AND IS AN
EXCELLENT CATTLE FEED.
OIL CAKES ARE ALSO USED AS FERTILIZERS.
MAJOR OILSEEDS GROWN IN INDIA
GROUNDNUT
SESAMUM
RAPESEED
MUSTARD
LINSEED
CASTOR
GROUNDNUT
 INDIA IS THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF GROUNDNUT IN
THE WORLD.
 IT IS A TROPICAL CROP HENCE GROWS WELL OVER
THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU.
 GROUNDNUT ALSO KNOWN AS PEANUT OR
MONKEYNUT.
 GROUNDNUT KERNELS ARE RICH IN PROTIENS AND
VITAMINS.
 USED FOR MANUFACTURE OF EDIBLE OIL.
 USED IN MANUFACTURE OF SOAP, CANDLES,
ARTIFICIAL LEATHER.
 USED AS AN IMPORTANT ROTATION CROP AS IT HELPS
IN INCREASING SOIL FERTILITY.
GEOGRAPHICAL REQUIREMENTS OF
GROUNDNUT
 TEMPERATURE : BETWEEN 22 TO 28 DEGREE CELSIUS.
 RAINFALL : IS A DROUGHT RESISTANT CROP HENCE
CAN GROW IN AREAS WITH LESS RAINFALL WELL
DISTRIBUTED DURING THE FLOWERING STAGE.
 SOIL : LIGHT SANDY SOIL, RED SOIL, BLACK SOIL.
 IS A LEGUMINOUS VARIETY CULTIVATED AS BOTH
KHARIF AND RABI CROP
METHODS OF CULTIVATION
 SOWING :
 SOWN USUALLY BETWEEN JUNE AND JULY. WHEN THE
FLOWERS APPEAR,THE STALKS BEND DOWNWARDS AND
FORCE THE SEEDPODS INTO THE GROUND WHERE THEY
MATURE.
 HARVESTING :
 BETWEEN OCTOBER AND DECEMBER.
 WARM DRY SEASON ESSENTIAL FOR RIPENING.
 PODS ARE STRIPPED FROM THE VINES AND DRIED IN THE
SUN.
AREAS OF PRODUCTION
GUJRAT –LEADING PRODUCER
TAMIL NADU
ANDHRA PRADESH
KARNATAKA
MUSTARD OR RAI AND RAPESEED OR
SARSON
 ARE RABI CROPS GROWN IN ROTATION WITH WHEAT.
 GEOGRAPHICAL REQUIREMENTS –
 SAME AS FOR WHEAT CROP.
 ARE PLANTED WITH WHEAT AND HARVESTED A LITTLE
BEFORE WHEAT WHEN THE CROP TURNS YELLOW.
 TEMPERATURE = ARE WINTER CROPS AND GROW WELL IN
TEMPERATURE RANGING BETWEEN 10 TO 20 DEGREE
CELSIUS.
 RAINFALL = BETWEEN 50 TO 100 cm IS ADEQUATE.
 SOIL = GROW WELL IN ALLUVIAL SOIL.
IMPORTANCE OF MUSTARD
USED AS COOKING MEDIUM IN
NORTH INDIA.
USED IN FLAVOURING PICKLES.
TENDER LEAVES USED AS GREEN
VEGETABLE/ SAAG
OIL CAKE IS USED AS CATTLE FEED.
AREAS OF MUSTARD PRODUCTION
RAJASTHAN
HARYANA
UTTAR PRADESH
PUNJAB
ASSAM
WEST BENGAL
BIHAR
ORISSA
MAHARASHTRA
SESAMUM
 GROWN IN ROTATION WITH OTHER CROPS LIKE
JOWAR OR RAGI
 ALSO KNOWN AS TIL OR GINGELLY.
 USED AS COOKING OIL.
 USED FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES.
 IS EATEN RAW,ROASTED OR MIXED WITH JAGGERY /
GUR OR SUGAR AS THESE ARE RICH SOURCES OF
PROTIEN, CARBOHYDRATE AND MINERALS.
GEOGRAPHICAL REQUIREMENTS OF
SESAMUM / SESAME
GROWN AS BOTH KHARIF AND RABI CROP.
TEMPERATURE = 21 TO 23 DEGREE CELSIUS
RAINFALL = 40 TO 50 cm SUFFICIENT/
CANNOT WITHSTAND DROUGHT OR HEAVY
RAIN.
SOIL = WELL DRAINED LOAMY AND BLACK
COTTON SOIL.
METHOD OF CULTIVATION - SESAMUM
PLANTS GROW TO A HEIGHT OF 0.5 TO 1.5
METRES.
ARE READY FOR HARVEST WHEN THEY TURN
YELLOW IN ABOUT 3 TO 4 MONTHS.
AREAS OF PRODUCTION =
RAJASTHAN, GUJRAT, ANDHRA PRADESH
LINSEED
 OBTAINED FROM A FIBRE PLANT KNOWN AS FLAX.
 FLAX WAS GROWN WIDELY IN THE COOL TEMPERATE
REGIONS OF EUROPE AND WAS TRADITIONALLY USED FOR
CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD LINEN.
 LINSEED OIL IS UNSUITABLE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.
 USES OF LINSEED =
HAS A UNIQUE DRYING PROPERTY AND IS USED FOR PAINTS,
VARNISHES, PRINTING INK, LINOLEUM, WATER PROOF
FABRICS.
LINSEED OILCAKES ARE USED AS CATTLE FEED.
GEOGRAPHICAL REQUIREMENTS OF
LINSEED
 IS GROWN AS A RABI CROP.
 TEMPERATURE = NEEDS COOL , MOIST CLIMATE WITH
TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 10 TO 20 DEGREE CELSIUS.
 RAINFALL = 50 TO 75 cm
 SOIL = BEST GROWN ON CLAYEY LOAMY SOIL AND BLACK
COTTON SOIL OF THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU AND ALLUVIAL
SOIL OF NORTHERN PLAINS OF INDIA.
 AREAS OF PRODUCTION =
 MADHYA PRADESH, UTTAR PRADESH, MAHARASHTRA.
Castor seed
 India is the second largest producer of castor seed.
 THE PLANT AND ITS SEED ARE NOT FIT FOR HUMAN
CONSUMPTION.
 THE OIL IS USED IN PAINTS, VARNISHES, PRINTING INKS,
LINOLEUM, TRANSPARENT PAPER, SOAPS, PLASTICS.
 CASTOR OIL IS USED AS AN EXCELLENT LUBRICANT FOR
HIGH SPEED ENGINES AND AIRPLANES.
GEOGRAPHICAL REQUIREMENTS OF
CASTOR SEED
 IS A TROPICAL PLANT AND GROWS AS KHARIF AS WELL AS RABI
CROP.
 TEMPERATURE = BETWEEN 20 TO 23 DEGREE CELSIUS. FROST IS
HARMFUL .
 RAINFALL = TOLERANT TO DROUGHT / 50 TO 75 cm OF
RAINFALL IS ADEQUATE.
 SOIL = GROWS BEST IN DEEP LOAMY SOIL AND LIGHT ALLUVIAL
SOIL.
 AREAS OF PRODUCTION =
 ANDHRA PRADESH, GUJRAT, RAJASTHAN, ORISSA.
COTTON SEEDS
 IS PRODUCED WHERE COTTON IS CULTIVATED AS IT IS A
BY-PRODUCT OBTAINED AFTER GINNING OF COTTON.
 GINNING SEPARATES THE FIBRE FROM THE SEED AND THESE
SEEDS ARE COMPRESSED TO EXTRACT OIL.
 COTTON SEED OIL IS USED IN MANUFACTURE OF
HYDROGENATED OIL.
 COTTON SEEDS OILCAKES ARE USED AS CATTLE FEED.
 IS USED FOR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES.
 IS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF EDIBLE OIL USED LARGELY
IN THE VANASPATI INDUSTRY.
RUBBER
 NATURAL RUBBER OBTAINED FROM THE LATEX OF THE TREE
HEVEA BRASILINESIS – NATIVE OF AMAZON EQUATORIAL
FOREST.
 HAS PROPERTIES OF ELASTICITY, RESISTANCE TO WATER,
AND NON-CONDUCTION OF ELECTRICITY.
 RUBBER GROWS WELL IN HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE.
 IN INDIA IT IS GROWN FROM KANYAKUMARI BELT IN THE
SOUTH TO THE WINDWARD SIDE OF THE WESTERN GHATS.
 KERALA= LARGEST PRODUCER OF RUBBER = 90 PERCENT
OF PRODUCTION IN INDIA.
GEOGRAPHICAL REQUIREMENTS OF
RUBBER
 TEMPERATURE = CONSTANT HIGH TEMPERATURE OF AROUND 27
DEGREE CELSIUS. THE TREE CANNOT BE GROWN AT HIGH ALTITUDES
BECAUSE OF LOW TEMPERATURE.
 RAINFALL = HEAVY, WELL DISTRIBUTED RAINFALL THROUGHOUT THE
YEAR. 200 TO 400 cm
 SOIL = ALLUVIAL OR LATERITE SOIL.
 AREAS OF PRODUCTION =
 KERALA, TAMIL NADU, KARNATAKA, ANDAMN AND NICOBAR
ISLANDS.
METHODS OF RUBBER CULTIVATION
 SOWING = IN TWO WAYS –
 TRANSPLANTATION- SEED GERMINATED IN SPECIAL GERMINATION
BEDS. AFTER GERMINATION SEEDS ARE FIRST SOWN IN A SMALL PLOT
OF LAND OR NURSERY AND ALLOWED TO GROW INTO TINY PLANTS OR
SEEDLINGS.
 THE HEALTHY, WELL DEVELOPED SEEDLINGS ARE PICKED OUT FROM THE
NURSERY BED AND TRANSFERRED TO THE REGULAR FIELD. PROPER
DISTANCE IS MAINTAINED BETWEEN THE ROWS PLANTED.
 7 TO 8 YEARS MATURITY PERIOD OF RUBBER.
 FARMERS GROW COVER CROPS – TO PREVENT SOIL EROSION AND
PROVIDE NITROGENOUS COMPONDS TO THE PLANT AND ARE ALSO A
SOURCE OF INCOME.
Bud grafting method
A BUD OF A HIGH YIELDING IS ATTACHED TO
ANOTHER PLANT.
WHEN THE SEEDLINGS ARE ABOUT 5 cm HIGH,
BUDS YIELDING CLONES ARE GRSFTED ON TO THE
SEEDLINGS.
THE NEW PLANT COMBINES THE BEST QUALITIES OF
BOTH.
TAPPING OF RUBBER
 RUBBER OBTAINED AS LATEX FROM RUBBER TREE.
 LATEX IS A WHITE MILKY LIQUID OBTAINED BY MAKING A CUT 2 mm DEEP TO
LET THE LATEX FLOW OUT BUT NOT TO DAMAGE THE CAMBIAM/ BARK WITH
THE LATEX.
 THIS IS TO BE DONE IN THE MORNING BECAUSE –
 LATEX FLOWS FREELY IN THE MORNING
 THERE ARE FEWER CHANCES OF RAIN IN THE MORNING IN THE AREAS OF
PRODUCTION.
 A TAPPER NEEDS TO BE A HIGHLY SKILLED PERSON.
 TAPPING IS A LABOUR INTENSIVE WORK AND NEEDS CHEAP AND EFFICIENT
LABOUR.
PROCESSING OF RUBBER
 LATEX COLLECTED IS TRANSFERRED TO A PAN AND TAKEN TO THE
FACTORY FOR PROCESSING.
 LATEX IS PUT INTO A TANK OF WATER.
 DISTILLED LATEX IS STRAINED FROM IMPURITIES – DIRT AND BARK BITS.
 ACID IS ADDED TO THE STRAINED LATEX
 THE RUBBER COAGULATES / THICKENS AND RISES TO THE SURFACE IN
SLABS
 SLABS ARE REMOVED AND PRESSED TO SQUEEZE OUT THE REMAINING
LIQUIDS AND IMPURITIES.
 SLABS ARE MOVED TO A SMOKE HOUSE WHERE THEY ARE DRIED FOR
SEVERAL DAYS
 THE SHEETS ARE PACKED IN BALES AND TAKEN TO THE MARKET FOR
SALE.