Feasibility And Countermeasures Of Developing Industrial Plantation Of Bio-energy Crop Castor In Saline Soil

Industrial cultivation of energy crops is necessary for providing sufficient raw materials for producing bioenergy. However, energy crops are bound to take up a lot of arable land, which usually impacts the production of other staple crops and leads to the shortage of food and other agricultural products. Using marginal land, especially saline land to develop energy crops can to some extent alleviate the problems resulting from energy crisis, acute decrease in arable lands, and relevant ecological and environmental disorders. With a combination of technical analysis and benefit exploration, this paper aims to conduct a preliminary study and give countermeasures to the industrial production in saline soils by analyzing the feasibility and main problems of developing castor production in saline soils. The main results were as follows:1. In recent years, energy crisis, the decrease in arable land, soil salinization, and the consequent environmental crises aroused more and more attention. Bioenergy produced from castor bean is clean, renewable, non-polluting, and sustainable, which is in conformity with the characteristics of new energy and the basic requirements of new energy development theory, energy ecological theory and the theory of sustainable development. In the current background of bioenergy resurgence, the development of energy crop castor industrial production is of practical importance in alleviating energy crisis, strengthening energy supply, developing new industries in rural areas, promoting rural economy, expanding marginal land utilization, increasing lands’ value, extending industrial chain of agriculture, and bettering eco-environment.2. The effects of salinity on physiochemical parameters and grain yield are acceptable when saline concentration in soil is lower than0.6%. Castor bean yield can be greatly increased if suitable planting density and fertilizer strategy are adopted. Castor cultivation is technically feasible on the saline land through the application of reasonable cultivation techniques. So medium saline lands can be used to plant castor bean crop. The analyses on the current processing technology of castor bean oil indicate that the processing technology of crude castor oil, processed castor oil and the derivatives of castor soil are technologically feasible.3. The industrial plantation of castor is feasible in the aspects of technology, economy, ecology, and social development. There has been an increasing market demand for castor products and their derivatives in recent years. Due to the development castor cultivation technology, planting cost of castor is also decreased. More and more large-sized enterprises are now involved in planting castor and processing castor products. All these have increased economic efficiency of castor industry. Bioenergy produced from castor bean is clean, renewable, non-polluting, and sustainable. To some extent, it can reduce greenhouse gas emission, protect ecological environment, and promote the harmonious development of ecological environment and social economy. The development of industrial castor production on saline lands meets the requirements of developing bioenergy, achieving the linkage between industrial chains, broadening the utilization of saline soil, and promoting rural economic and social development.4. The industrial plantation of castor in China lags behind social and economic development. The main problems facing castor industrial plantation include:improper industrial environment, imperfect construction of industrial chain, shortage of castor bean in the upper reach of the industrial chain, low utilization in the middle of the industrial chain, and low level of product industrialization and low utilization in the lower part of the industrial chain. The plantation, product processing, and marketing expansion have seriously hampered the development of castor industry. Based on the feasibility analysis of castor industrial plantation on saline lands and China’s national conditions, some suggestions are proposed for the better development of castor industrial plantation on saline land. Firstly, formulate long-term bioenergy development planning, perfect the castor industry chain structure, and strengthen the cooperation between industrial chains. Secondly, strengthen the research of new varieties, and constantly improve the castor plant cultivation and management system. Thirdly, formulate castor industry development countermeasures. Fourthly, perfect the security system of castor industrial development, strengthen government guidance, establish security system, and improve management system.