Oilseed Rape

Oilseed rape - brassica napus

(Winter oilseed rape, spring oilseed rape)

Oilseed rape has been bred from an unimportant lamp oil into a valuable cooking oil and into a livestock feed rich in proteins. Since the 1990ies, this crop has been met with steadily increasing appreciation. Oilseed rape has the second highest global market share of all oil-seeds. In 2007, global production of oilseed rape was 49.3 million tons, four times more than the production in the beginning of the 1980ies. The varieties cultivated in Europe are nearly exclusively 00-winter oilseed rape. In Germany, the cultivation area for oilseed rape reached a new 1.5 million hectares record level in 2007.

Manifold Uses for Oilseed Rape

Oilseed rape is cultivated to produce oil. Due to its nutritious value, this oil has increasingly gained in importance for human consumption. The by-products of oil production from rapeseed are used as protein-rich animal feed­ - rapeseed press cake, rapeseed expeller or rapeseed extraction meal. Oilseed rape had been used as energy plant since the late medieval times. Today, oilseed rape is still used for the production of environmental-friendly and biodegradable paints and varnishes, but also for the production of climate-friendly biodiesel that helps reduce CO₂ emissions.

The Double-Zero Breakthrough

Oilseed rape, originally of a composition unsuitable for human or animal consumption, has been bred into a valuable human and animal food, enabling multiple new utilizations. Up into the 1970ies, the high content in insalubrious erucic acid and glucosinolates had limited the usability of oilseed rape as food or feed. In 1974, the first varieties without erucic acid were placed on the market. In 1985, this major feat in plant breeding was followed by the double-zero oilseed rape varieties. Refined rapeseed cake is an important source of proteins. Farmers can choose between a great number of different oilseed rape varieties for their specific demands and locations. In 2008, more than 60 oilseed rape varieties had been registered in Germany. Added to this, there are a great number of varieties listed in the Community Plant Variety Catalogue and marketable throughout the EU.Oilseed rape, originally of a composition unsuitable for human or animal consumption, has been bred into a valuable human and animal food, enabling multiple new utilizations. Up into the 1970ies, the high content in insalubrious erucic acid and glucosinolates had limited the usability of oilseed rape as food or feed. In 1974, the first varieties without erucic acid were placed on the market. In 1985, this major feat in plant breeding was followed by the double-zero oilseed rape varieties. Refined rapeseed cake is an important source of proteins. Farmers can choose between a great number of different oilseed rape varieties for their specific demands and locations. In 2008, more than 60 oilseed rape varieties had been registered in Germany. Added to this, there are a great number of varieties listed in the Community Plant Variety Catalogue and marketable throughout the EU.

Future Enhancements

Hybrid varieties already contribute to further yield increases and to more constant yield performance. Biotechnological breeding methods could bring important breeding objectives within the reach, e.g. improved composition, and would help to further enrich the selection of oilseed rape varieties. The focus of breeding activities will be yield, oil content, resistance to diseases, resistance to lodging, or new oleic acid compositions.