The seed oils of some species of the family Cruciferae
SummaryThe physicochemical properties of the oils of the seeds of seven plants of the family Cruciferae —Cakile maritima, Sisymbrium altissimum, Sisymbrium Loeselii, Descurainia Sophia, Erysimum cheiranthoides, Brassica amoracioides andCrambe pontica — have been studied and their fatty acid compositions have been determined. The results obtained showed no marked differences from those given in the literature.
Prepress-solvent extraction of crambe: First commercial trial run of new oilseed
Commercial-scale equipment was used to process experimentally 36 tons ofCrambe abyssinica seed grown in the western part of the United States to obtain information on the processing of this new oilseed and to determine characteristics of the oil and meal products. The run was carried out for USDA at the Pacific Vegetable Oil Corporation plant at Sidney, Nebraska, February 1964.Process objectives in the study included dehulling, primary oil removal by expeller prepress, secondary oil removal by solvent extraction and control of thioglucosides to obtain good oil quality. A continuous plant operation yielded crude oils and toasted meal that will be compared with similar products from other commercial oilseed processes.Characteristics of the crude oils that have been determined are composition, refining losses and hydrogenation ability. Organoleptic data on the refined, bleached and deodorized oils have been obtained, as well as compositional data on the desolventized-toasted meals. More than 13 tons of meal and 10 tons of oil were prepared.
Investigations on the rôle of organic matter in plant nutrition
1. As the result of decomposition of green manure in a swamp soil, the coarse fractions (including coarse and fine sand) of the surface layer (first 3 inches) decreased by 11·2 per cent. while the fine ones (silt+clay) increased by 9·8 per cent. in the course of 43 days. The effect was less pronounced in the manured soil maintained at 60 per cent. saturation, while no alteration was to be noticed in the case of the unmanured specimens. 2. Treatment with dilute hydrochloric acid prior to dispersion had no appreciable effect on the estimates of mechanical composition obtained in the different cases. Loss in solution was also comparatively small. 3. The silica-sesquioxide ratio increased slightly as the result of decomposition of green manure in swamp soil. The composition of the fine fractions was also altered, the total percentages of the oxides of iron, aluminium and silicon increasing from 90·5 to 99·3 in the course of 71 days. 4. The practical significance of the above and related observations has been discussed.