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Castor
High-density bio-fuel crop, delivering 6–12 harvests from a single 3–5 year planting.
Overview
High-Density (HD) Castor is grown under PQNK as both a cash crop and a soil regenerator — its deep taproot and continuous biomass production stimulate microbial activity while producing the seed used in Pedaver's bio-fuel work.
PQNK Practices Applied
- Standard PQNK land conversion: hardpan broken, soil chemistry corrected where pH exceeds 8, permanent raised beds built, Jantar grown and mulched, no-till planting
- 9,000–12,000 plants per acre — a density that sustains deep, healthy root systems and lower pest pressure rather than forcing growth
- No fertilisers, no external compost, no sprays — nutrition from microbial mineralization, decomposing Jantar, and root exudates
Results & Testimony
A single HD Castor planting stays economically productive for 3–5 years, yielding 2–3 pickings annually — roughly 6–8 harvests from a 3-year stand and up to 10–12 from a 5-year stand, with peak productivity in years 2–4.