Abstract
This work is a review of selected literature on the species of <em>Brassica</em> with the greatest economic significance. Oilseed rape (<em>Brassica napus</em> ssp. <em>oleifera</em>) currently ranks third worldwide among oilseed crops used for oil production and is the most important in the temperate zone. The manifold uses of rape include not only human consumption of oil, but also the use of post-extraction meal to feed livestock as well as industrial applications as a source of bioenergy or cellulose. The improvement in the economic position of rape among crop plants is also due to the doubling of its yield between 1970 and 2009; the average annual increase in seed yield worldwide was 27 kg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>. The yield level in Europe exceeds the average yields achieved in the world, particularly in Asia. Recently, the cultivation of oilseed rape was started on a relatively large acreage in Iran where the yield amounted 2.1 t ha<sup>−1</sup>, exceeding the yields of China and India. In Poland, the acreage of oilseed rape cultivation between 1965 and 2013 increased 3–4 times, and during this period the annual increase in seed yield was 29 kg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>. Under the field conditions of the temperate climate zone, winter oilseed rape yield is mainly determined by agro-climatic conditions during the growing period, the level of nitrogen fertilization, and the production potential of varieties, which is currently highest in hybrids. There is a noticeable tendency of hybrids towards formation of more siliques by individual oilseed plants. Different production categories of plants appear in a rape crop. Semi-dwarf varieties of winter rapeseed are distinguished by greater silique density, particularly on the main shoot. Moreover, these hybrids are characterized by faster growth of the root system, which enables them to take up nitrogen from the soil more efficiently.
Highlights
Four species of the genus Brassica are commonly grown as oilseed crops: Brassica napus (Swede rape), B. rapa, B. juncea (Indian mustard), and B. carinata (Ethiopian mustard) [1]
The winter form of oilseed rape is grown in the temperate climate zone of Europe, while only the spring form, known for its high oil quality, is cultivated in the western provinces of Canada – currently mainly GM varieties [3]
Mousavi et al [9] emphasize that in countries with an arid or semi-arid climate, including Iran, farmers are taking up cultivation of spring rape which, apart from seeds, supplies stalks used as a source of cellulose for paper production
Summary
Four species of the genus Brassica are commonly grown as oilseed crops: Brassica napus (Swede rape), B. rapa (turnip rape), B. juncea (Indian mustard), and B. carinata (Ethiopian mustard) [1]. Brassica rapa is the most widespread Brassica species and has the longest history of domestication in the Old World (Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa) [2]. Brassica juncea is grown mainly in India and in some regions of China. The primary range and area of cultivation of Brassica carinata are limited to Northeast Africa, mainly Ethiopia
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