The Potential of Castor as a Biodiesel Feedstock Crop for the Arabian Peninsula

There is an increasing need to turn to biofuels to meet growing world fuel requirements. Oil-rich regions such as the Arabian Peninsula should be no exception in exploring alternative, renewable and environment-friendly fuel options in order to decrease their dependency on non-renewable fossil fuels. In this study we have carried out field trials of castor (Ricinus communis) in order to assess its suitability as a biodiesel feedstock crop in the region. We have also studied the response of 11 hybrid accessions of castor to three saline irrigation water treatments (5, 10 and 15 dS/m) and determined that castor can tolerate up to 5 dS/m salinity in irrigation water without any negative effect on oilseed yield.