The residue left after extracting oil from oilseeds is called cake. When it is used as manure in the field, it is called cake manure.
There are 2 types of oil cakes –
Edible oil cakes- It is edible for animals like cottonseed, mustard, taramira, groundnut, taramira, sesame, coconut etc.
Non-edible cakes- it is not edible for animals. They are used as manure in the field, like castor, mahua, neem, karanj etc. It also acts as a pesticide in the crop.
Nitrogen is found in higher quantities in oil cakes than cow dung manure and vermicompost, as well as phosphorus and potash are also found in oil cakes.
The number of nutrients available in different oil cakes-
Oil cake
Nitrogen %
Phosphorus %
Potash %
Castor
4.37
1.85
1.39
Mahua
2.51
0.80
1.85
Neem
5.22
1.08
1.48
Karanj
3.97
0.94
1.27
Know the method of application of oilcake in crops-
Oil cake manure comes in the category of concentrated organic manure, it can be used in the field both pre and post sowing.
Method of application of oil cakes pre-sowing – Apart from Mahua cake, the powder of all cakes should be used in the field 10-15 days before sowing.
Mahua cake decomposes late, so it should be used in the field 2 months before sowing. A chemical called saponin is found in it, due to the presence of which it is a good manure for paddy crops.
The cakes should be scattered in the field and mixed in the soil after ploughing lightly.
Method of application of cakes post sowing – After germination, use powdered oil cake near the plant.
Oilseeds can be used while earthing up in tuber root crops.
Keep in mind that after putting the cakes in the field, it is very important to have enough moisture in the soil for their decomposition.
