Shirke Biohealthcare Pvt.Ltd.

Stronger than white mustard, black mustard may be used for its greens, or its seeds which are used to flavor pickles and salads. Once the primary source of mustard seed in the world, black mustard was a key ingredient in soap and medicine.

Cassava, also known has manioc, is a tropical, starchy staple of South American origin. Potatoes and yams are other starchy staples. Cassava has another disadvantage; the fleshy roots contain poisonous compounds (cyanogenic glycosides - compounds that liberate cyanide) that must be removed. Shredding the roots and squeezing out the juice removes much of the toxic compounds. Heat used to dry the resulting flour removes the remaining compounds. The resulting flour, called farofa, is very bland, rather like corn meal and flour. The flour can be mixed with water and the dough cooked on a large griddle to make large cassava flat-breads. In many areas, cassava breads and farofa are the staple, sometimes only food, consumed for considerable periods of time. The resulting diet results in chronic protein deficiencies.

General information about crop : Jojoba grows to 1-2 m tall, with a broad, dense crown. The leaves are opposite, oval in shape, 2-4 cm long and 1.5-3 cm broad, thick waxy glaucous gray-green in color. The flowers are small, greenish-yellow, with 5-6 sepals and no petals. Each plant is single-sex, either male or female, with hermaphrodites being extremely rare. The fruit is an acorn-shaped ovoid, three-angled capsule 1-2 cm long, partly enclosed at the base by the sepals. The mature seed is a hard oval, dark brown in color and contains an oil (liquid wax) content of approximately 54%.

General information about crop : The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant native to the Americas in the family Asteraceae, with a large flowering head (inflorescence). The stem of the flower can grow up to 3 metres tall, with the flower head reaching 30 cm in diameter. The term "sunflower" is also used to refer to all plants of the genus Helianthus, many of which are perennial plants. The florets within this cluster are arranged spirally. Typically each floret is oriented toward the next by approximately the golden angle, producing a pattern of interconnecting spirals where the number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers. Typically, there are 34 spirals in 1 direction and 55 in the other; on a very large sunflower you may see 89 in one direction and 144 in the other.

General information about crop: Groundnut is the 13th most important food crop of the world. It is the world's 4th most important source of edible oil and 3rd most important source of vegetable protein. Groundnut seeds contain high quality edible oil (˜ 50%), easily digestible protein (˜ 25%) and carbohydrates (˜ 20%). Groundnut is grown in nearly 100 countries. Groundnut is also known as peanut, earthnut, monkey nut, goober, pinda and Manila nut. Among the oilseed crops, groundnut has first Groundnut oil is primarily used in the manufacture of vegetable oil. The biological value of groundnut protein is among the highest of the vegetable proteins, and equals that of casein. Groundnuts are a good source of all B vitamins except B12. They are a rich source of thiamin, riboflavin, nicotinic acid and vitamin E.However, they lack in vitamin A. With regard to minerals, phosphorus, calcium and iron are present in significant amount. The flowers are born in the axils of the leaves mostly near the base of plant and have generally yellow petals. It is a self pollinated crop. After fertilization stalk of ovary elongates and forms peg which contains fertilized ovules at the tip. The growth of peg is positively geotropic until it penetrates soil to some depth (7 cm). The tip then becomes diageotropic and ovary starts developing into a fruit called pod which contains seeds. Generally it takes about 60 days from fertilization to full pod maturity.

General information about crop : The scientific name for coconut is Cocos nucifera. Early Spanish explorers called it coco, which means "monkey face" because the three indentations (eyes) on the hairy nut resembles the head and face of a monkey. Nucifera means "nut-bearing." The coconut provides a nutritious source of meat, juice, milk, and oil that has fed and nourished populations around the world for generations. On many islands coconut is a staple in the diet and provides the majority of the food eaten. Nearly one third of the world's population depends on coconut to some degree for their food and their economy. Among these cultures the coconut has a long and respected history. Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is classified as a "functional food" because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Coconut oil is of special interest because it possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil and is extensively used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations. Pacific Islanders consider coconut oil to be the cure for all illness. The coconut palm is so highly valued by them as both a source of food and medicine that it is called "The Tree of Life." Only recently has modern medical science unlocked the secrets to coconut's amazing healing powers.

A tall glabrous annual some times shrubby or sub harboreous, leaves alternate, broad palmately Seven to many lobed, serrate, flowers large, in terminal sub panicle racemes, monoecious, apetalous, upper male crowded lower female .In case of spiny fruits there is variation in the length of spines. In some cases the spines are short and in some long. Their oil content varies from 45 per cent to 57 per cent. Very small fruits are usually found in ornamental plants.

General information about crop : Linseed is an important oilseed and fibre crop grown both for its seed as well as fibre which is used for the manufacture of linen. The seed contains a good percentage of oil varying from 33 to 47 per cent in different varieties. The oil is edible and also due to its quick drying property is used for the preparation of paints, varnishes, printing ink, oilcloth, soap, patent leather, and waterproof fabrics. The oil cake left after the oil is pressed out is a most valuable feeding cake, perhaps the most favourite cattle feed. It is good in taste and contains 36 per cent protein, 85 per cent of, which is digestible. It is fed to both milch and fattening animals. It is also used as organic manure. It contains about 5 per cent nitrogen, 1.4 per cent phosphorus and 1.8 per cent potash. Straw from seed varieties are used in the manufacturer of upholstery two, insulating material, rugs, twine, and paper.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. Domestic production has been limited because of the lack of cultivars that can be harvested mechanically. In 1987, the sesame acreage in this country was less than 2,500 acres, about half of which were in Texas. Upon ripening, sesame capsules split, releasing the seed (hence the phrase, "open sesame"). Because of this shattering characteristic, sesame has been grown primarily on small plots that are harvested by hand. Although researchers have made significant progress in sesame breeding, harvest losses due to shattering continue to limit domestic production.

(Gossypium) Cotton seed oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the cotton after the cotton lint has been removed. Around 70 % of the harvest consists of seeds containing 20 % fat. Pressing and extraction yield the red-black, viscous cottonseed oil,

Biofuel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, and agricultural waste.

Biofuel is safe, biodegradable, and reduces serious air pollutants such as particulates, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and air toxics.

Biofuels are nothing but Biodiesel, Bioethanol and Biogas etc.

Bioethanol can also be used in its pure form, but it may require certain engine modifications to avoid maintenance and performance problems. It can be used with petrol (gasohol).

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is one of the world’s most important sources of oil and protein. They are an important food crop; the seeds are eaten whole, split or sprouted. The soybean can be processed to yield protein which is used as a supplement as infant feeding or they can yield oil, which is an edible oil in food. The bulk of the oil is used for salad oil and margarine and shortening. The oil can also be used industrially in the manufacture of paints, linoleum, oilcloth, printing inks, soap, insecticides, disinfectants, etc. Soy meal, the residue after the extraction of the oil is a very rich protein feed stuff for livestock for which there is an increasing demand. The meal and soybean protein are used in the manufacture of synthetic fiber, adhesives, textile, sizing, waterproofing, firefighting foam etc. Soy flour prepared from whole beans produces flour used in bakeries and other food products; such as additives and extenders to cereal flour and meat products, in health foods, etc. Sometimes soybean is called the invisible crop because they are found in a large number of products, but the public is unaware that soybean is in these products. Soybean seeds are extremely fragile and subject to damage by handling, auguring, and transporting. Seed moisture influences the extent of damage; drier seed is more easily damaged than seed with higher moisture content.

About 200 countries grow the crop to produce 1,324 million tons (more than six times the amount of sugar beet produced). As of the year 2005, the world's largest producer of sugar cane by far is Brazil. Uses of sugar cane include the production of sugar, Falernum, molasses, rum, cachaça (the national spirit of Brazil) and ethanol for fuel. The bagasse that remains after sugarcane crushing is used to provide both heat energy, used in the mill, and electricity, which is typically on-sold to the consumer electricity grid.

Maize is one of the world's leading crops cultivated over an area of about 139 million hectares with a production of about 600 million tonnes of grain (1999). Maize (Zea mays) is a tall, deep-rooted, warm weather annual grass. A single long stalk will develop from seed. Long smooth leaves are attached at the stem nodes. Seed producing shoots originate from the base of the main stem. The female flowers are borne on the corn 'ear', which arises at a leaf axil near the mid-point along the stem. The flower organs, and later the grain kernels, are enclosed in several layers of papery tissue, termed husks. A mass of long styles (silks) protrude from the tip as a mass of silky threads. These strands are actually the stigmas from the flowers and emerge at the same time the pollen from the terminal tassels is shed. The pollen is wind blown and comes in contact with the emerged silk or stigma.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) production provides potential as an alternative income source for the Colorado agricultural producer. In addition, rapeseed production provides the opportunity to break up disease, insect, and weed cycles associated with traditional wheat production systems. Rapeseed is in the Brassica family and is related to as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Rapeseed plants grow 2 to 4 feet tall with branching from the central stem. The yellow flowers have four petals and the pods, which are 1 to 1-1/2 inches long and approximately 1/8 inch wide.

Mustard is an annual plant that is well adapted to cool climates and will germinate at low soil temperatures (4.4°C). In addition to its value as a condiment, mustard has a long history of medicinal uses. Mustard paste has been used to clear chest congestion and relieve arthritis, rheumatism, toothache and general stiffness because the active constituents found in the seeds cause a heating sensation.

"We can definitely find productive employment for all the 36 million people by launching certain missions like bio-diesel generation through plants such as Jatropha , dry land and herbal farming in the available 33 million hectares of waste land earmarked for cultivation".

General information about crop : Mustard seeds are yellowish or brownish colored, small seeds that are used as a spice in many countries. These seeds are obtained from bush like mustard plant that belongs to the genus Brassica. The origin of mustard is not known to the world but it is said that it grew wild in the northern hemisphere. It is also said that this plant got spread through birds, winds and biological dispersals.

Utilized for its pungency, Oriental or brown mustard is used to produce hot table mustard, oil and spices. Although this variety of mustard yields a high protein oilseed, it is not often used in feed and vegetable markets because of its strong flavor.

Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the oil palm tree. The palm fruit is the source of both palm oil (extracted from palm fruit) and palm kernel oil (extracted from the fruit seeds). Babassu oil is extracted from the kernels of the Babassu palm. Palm oil itself is reddish because it contains a high amount of betacarotene. It is used as cooking oil, to make margarine and is a component of many processed foods. Boiling it a few minutes destroys the carotenoids and the oil becomes white.

Yellow or white mustard used to make the standard mustards applied to hot dogs. Nutritionally, it adds fat, oil and protein to the diet, and is used when a milder flavoring is desired.