Behavior of castor bean (Ricinus communis) cultivars in different densities, in state of the Tocantins

Abstract

The castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is an important oilseed for producing oil that is the primary raw material for biodiesel production and to be tolerant to drought. This paper aimed to evaluate the influence of different densities on agronomic characteristics of four cultivars of castor oil. The experiment was carried out at Federal University of Tocantins, in Gurupi – TO. The production of four cultivars was evaluated. Sowing was performed using four population densities (5,600, 7,400, 11,000 and 22,000 plants ha^-1). The experiment was conducted under randomized blocks design, in 4 x 4 factorial schemes. The data were analyzed using variance analysis and the Tukey test was applied, at 5% probability. The results showed that the castor bean cultivars respond positively to the increase in population density. It is possible that maximum productivity was found in higher densities.