Leaf, not eggs, is what limits how many dfls a holding can rear. The fifth instar alone takes about 82 % of lifetime leaf intake, so the planning question is always whether late-age leaf will be there in quantity when the worms reach it.
Leaf yield by system
| System | Harvest windows | Leaf per plant / year | Total leaf yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castor, irrigated, 1 × 1 m | May–Jun, Jul–Aug, Sep–Oct, Nov–Dec | 1.20 kg | 12,000 kg / ha / yr |
| Castor, dryland, 1 × 0.6 m | Aug–Sep, Oct, Nov, Feb | 0.83 kg | 14,400 kg / ha / yr |
| Kesseru, 3 × 3 m | Apr–Jun, Aug–Sep, Dec–Feb | 18.0 kg | 8,000 kg / acre (20,000 kg / ha) |
Dual-purpose castor halves the usable leaf. Where castor is grown for leaf
alone, 50–60 % of leaves may be plucked per harvest. Where it is grown for oilseed and
leaf together, harvesting must be restricted to 25–30 % per plant — reducing
available leaf biomass from 12,000 to about 3,600 kg per hectare. Plan DFL numbers against
the harvesting regime, not the gross yield.
Castor varieties and hybrids yield 12–14 MT of leaf per hectare per year depending on cultivation system, crop duration and cultivar vigour. Integrated nutrient management — legume rotation, green manure, phosphate-solubilising bacteria, alley cropping with subabul — lowers fertiliser cost and arrests the leaf-yield decline seen under continuous heavy chemical fertilisation.
Leaf consumption and rearing capacity
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Leaf consumed per dfl | 11 – 12 kg castor; 10 kg kesseru |
| Rearing capacity | 400 dfls / acre castor; 600 dfls / acre kesseru |