Question

Wheat is protected by mixing with_______.
A. Castor oil
B. Coriander oil
C. Sunflower oil
D. Common salt

Answer 1

Hint: In several countries, food grains are protected by applying oils of cereal and pulses. This is done to protect grains from rotting or against fungi, bacteria, or mold. Wheat grains are also protected against rotting or infection by applying the oil that is obtained from a bean/seed.

Complete answer: Foodgrains have great value in a human diet. During handling, processing, storage, and distribution of these crops there can be great losses due to various factors. The three major factors are insects, fungi, and rodents. To prevent these, many insecticides are used for protection during the storage but due to its health hazards, insecticides are replaced with alternate biopesticides. In biopesticides comes oil from plant seeds which have the property of an insecticide. Oils are safe and most effective as an insecticide. Plant oil contains oil that is extracted from leaves, stem, seeds, or flowers. In many countries like India, Pakistan, and Nepal food grains (wheat, rice, and pulses) are protected by applying castor oil. Wheat and other crops are preserved against insects, fungi, or from rotting by the application of castor oil. Castor oil is obtained from castor beans or Ricinus communis. So, castor oil is used to protect wheat by mixing it with.
Therefore, the correct answer is option (A).

Note: Castor oil is obtained from castor beans. It has various uses, one of them is to protect the wheat crop from insects, rodents, fungi, and rotting during the time of storage due to its insecticidal property. It is an effective insecticide and safe to use.