Oilseeds : Production, Varieties and Management Practices

The predicted depletion of fossil fuels has mobilised society and the scientific community towards the use of alternative and sustainable sources of energy. A promising alternative could be the valorisation of oil bearing crops via transesterification reactions towards the production of biodiesel. As such, the first chapter assesses the most significant contributions in the homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysed transesterification under acidic or alkaline conditions considering the parameters affecting the processes as well as biodiesel yields. The following chapter highlights the synthesis of copper soaps derived from edible oils, the synthesis of complexes with 2-amino-6-methyl Benzothiazole derived from already synthesised copper soaps for comparative studies, spectral studies, thermogravimetric analysis of copper soaps derived from groundnut, sesame, neem and karanja, and more. The authors go on to highlight biocidal studies performed to assess the comparative toxicity on two easily available fungi, Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus niger. The synthesis of copper soaps with increasing carbon atom p-substituted benzothiazoles is also examined. In the concluding chapter, the authors summarise the results of the microencapsulation technology of butylated hydroxyanisole carried out in their laboratory in recent years. Both free and microencapsulated butylated hydroxyanisole were in situ evaluated for controlling the mycoflora present in peanut stored in different systems intended for confectionery, seed and industry.