Where does rapeseed grow? Rapeseed, rapeseed oil, beneficial properties and applications
Fans of country trips have probably at least once set their eyes on yellow rapeseed fields - more and more areas are sown with this herbaceous annual plant every year, not only here, but throughout the world (the leaders in rapeseed cultivation are India, China, Ukraine, Canada and European Union countries). This oilseed crop attracts farmers with many qualities: it is unpretentious, cold-resistant, grows quickly and is an excellent feed for any livestock, both large (cows) and small (pigs, sheep). In addition, the yellow, loose inflorescences of rapeseed are extremely loved by bees - from one hectare sown with the plant, about 60-90 kg of honey is ultimately obtained.
Scientists cannot explain exactly how rapeseed originated, because no one has seen it in its wild form on our planet, although it is known for certain that people have been growing the plant for more than 6 thousand years. It is believed that the ancestors of the culture were winter rapeseed and cabbage, but in what territory the first sprouts of rapeseed appeared, it is very difficult to say; researchers call its homeland either the Mediterranean region or Holland and England. Rapeseed came to Western Ukraine, Germany and Poland somewhere in the 16th century, and Russia appreciated this crop only at the very beginning of the 19th century.
Rapeseed is an organism that has complete diploid sets of chromosomes from two parent species (the so-called “natural amphidiploid”). But, naturally, breeding work on the plant does not stop, because scientists always strive to increase the yield of a particular crop, improve its nutritional and feeding qualities, accelerate ripening and impart resistance to various diseases and insects.
As we said above, rapeseed is grown to provide food for domestic herbivores, since this crop is characterized by a fairly high level of sulfur-containing protein, due to which cattle, sheep and pigs get sick less, gain weight well and produce more wool and milk.
However, rapeseed is used not only in agriculture: from its seeds they have long learned to extract high-quality oil, which can be found in a fairly large range of industrially produced food products - from margarine to baked goods. The same oil, but not very well purified, which contains residues of erucic acid (a substance extremely harmful to the human body), is used as a lubricant for jet engines; in addition, this product is suitable for the production of fuel for biodiesels.
Composition and beneficial properties
High-quality rapeseed oil is usually placed on a par with other vegetable oils (olive, sunflower), because it also contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, without which a person cannot feel good. These substances have a positive effect on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol, protect against the formation of blood clots, calm the nerves and improve the appearance of skin, hair and nails.
The annual herbaceous plant rapeseed belongs to the cruciferous family, the genus Cabbage. The peculiarity of this culture is that it does not have a single wild ancestor. Genetic scientists were able to find out that rapeseed is a natural hybrid of rapeseed and garden cabbage. This crop is usually grown in the fields to produce oilseeds or as green manure. The technology for cultivating rapeseed, like any other crop, of course, has some of its own characteristics.
Description of culture
Rapeseed is an annual plant with an erect stem of bluish-green color, divided into branches of several orders. The leaves of this plant are petiolate, single-row, and the inflorescences are racemose, loose, with yellow petals.
The rapeseed fruit is a slightly bent narrow pod containing about 30 pieces. spherical dark small seeds separated by membranous partitions. The length of rapeseed pods can reach 12 cm.
The seeds of this crop are very small. 5 g can contain up to 1000 pieces. This plant reproduces exclusively by seed.
The root of rapeseed is tap-shaped. In adult plants, it branches strongly and gradually grows in the horizontal direction.
Biological features
The rapeseed plant is tall. The length of its stem by the end of summer can be 1-2 m. The root system of this crop is also very well developed. It can grow vertically into the soil to a depth of 40 cm.
Externally, rapeseed is very similar to other wild and cultivated plants of the Cabbage genus. However, it has one characteristic feature. Three varieties of leaves grow on the stem of this plant.
In any case, the technology for cultivating rapeseed is not much different from the method of growing most other cruciferous crops.
Inflorescences on rapeseed bloom approximately 40 days after emergence. The ovaries of the pods on this plant are formed by the end of summer.
Origin of rapeseed
There is no wild ancestor for this culture. However, the technology of cultivating rapeseed in fields has been known to people for a very long time. As scientists managed to find out, people began growing this crop back in the 6th millennium BC. e.
Unfortunately, scientists do not have a consensus regarding the area of distribution of this plant in ancient times. Some botanists believe that the first to cultivate rapeseed were residents of Mediterranean countries. Other scientists believe that this culture began to spread throughout the world in ancient times from England. According to researchers, around the 16th century. rapeseed from Great Britain came first to Germany, and then to Poland and Ukraine.
In Russia, this plant began to be cultivated quite late. This culture was first brought to our country in the 19th century.
Economic importance
Rapeseed is used quite widely by humans. In the national economy, this crop is used, for example, for the production of:
biofuels and technical oils;
basics of compound feeds used in animal husbandry;
cosmetics and detergents;
edible vegetable oil.
Rapeseed is also highly valued as a honey crop. The green mass of this plant is comparable to manure in its composition of substances useful for agricultural crops. Therefore, this culture is often used as green manure.
Main varieties
Winter or spring rapeseed is cultivated in farmers' fields. The first variety of this crop usually produces more abundant harvests. It is believed that cultivating winter rapeseed is more profitable than spring rapeseed. But at the same time, this variety is also more demanding in terms of growing conditions. For example, spring rape is more resistant to drought.
Growing winter rapeseed is risky, including because, despite its winter hardiness, it can freeze out in the cold season. This usually happens when, after early thaws, ice crusts form near the root collars of plants.
Growing conditions
Rapeseed is a cold-resistant, long-day crop. This plant is cultivated mainly in countries of the temperate climate zone. In arid regions, rapeseed, unfortunately, does not show high yields. A favorable condition for its growing season is high humidity.
Rapeseed is absolutely undemanding to soil. However, it grows best in neutral or slightly acidic soils with high to medium nutrient content. That is, they are very well suited for this culture:
black soils;
dark gray and gray forest soils;
soddy carbonate, podzolic and viscous soil.
Canola is not grown on soils:
heavy in mechanical composition;
with a subsurface layer that does not allow water to pass through well;
peat;
lungs with insufficient thermal conductivity;
salt licks;
sour without liming.
This crop is cultivated in Europe, Ukraine, and Belarus. In Russia, this plant is grown in the Central regions, in the south and even in Siberia. The technology for cultivating spring and winter rapeseed in almost all regions of our country is used the same.
Selection of predecessors for rapeseed
It is believed that it is best to plant this plant in those fields where row crops previously grew, under which a lot of organic fertilizers were applied. The following are considered very good precursors for rapeseed:
number of developed leaves - 6-8 pcs.;
root collar thickness - 6-12 mm;
stem height - 3 cm;
root weight - at least 3 g;
the weight of the plant itself is 20-35 g.
- food,
- technical,
- feed
- Production of technical oil, production of biofuels. The popularity of biofuels is growing every day. It is made from rapeseed very simply at low cost. The cost of such fuel is low, and the demand is very high.
- Procurement of green feed and mixed feed. Rapeseed is valued by farmers as a fodder crop for its rapid yield of green mass. The plant blooms within a month after spring growth. In terms of the amount of protein, it can be easily compared to alfalfa.
- Production of cosmetics and detergents. The culture not only has a pleasant aroma, but is also beneficial for the skin. Not only in large industries, but even at home you can make a nourishing mask from rapeseed oil or gruel.
- Obtaining edible vegetable oil. Rapeseed oil has been used as a food product since ancient times, but there is still fierce debate about its benefits for the human body.
- The crop is not sown near plants from the Cruciferous family, to which it itself belongs.
- Recommended for planting before grain crops. Predecessors can be legumes, barley, wheat.
- Spring rape is not picky about soil. It is grown everywhere, although it grows faster on podzolic, loamy, well-drained soils.
- It is a good honey plant.
lupine and clover;
Features of cultivation
In short, rapeseed cultivation technology includes the following operations:
preparing the soil for planting;
seed dressing;
planting seeds;
treatment of fields with herbicides;
watering if necessary;
treatment of fields from pests.
If this crop is cultivated for seeds, it is harvested after the pods ripen. Rapeseed grown as green manure is cut at a young age. Next, the green mass is embedded in the ground.
Technology for cultivating spring rapeseed for seeds
In this case, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil in the fall before plowing, as well as in the spring directly during sowing. The soil on the field is usually improved with phosphorus fertilizers before winter. Spring rapeseed to produce oilseeds is usually sown in close proximity to livestock farms. The peculiarity of this plant is that it responds very well to organic fertilizers. Usually 80-100 tons of manure per hectare are applied to such rapeseed.
The spring form is sown for oilseeds most often in the second ten days of May. For example, according to cultivation technology, rapeseed in Belarus must be planted no later than May 20. The seeds of this crop are pre-treated with fungicides and insecticides. The rapeseed planting material is placed in the soil to a depth of 2-3 cm. A gap of 40 cm is left between the rows. The seeding rate is 5-7 kg of seeds per 1 ha. In most cases, fields with spring rape grown for seeds are treated with herbicides only before emergence or immediately after.
In fields with this crop it can be produced in a direct and separate way. The latter technique is used in weedy fields with uneven ripening of plants. Rapeseed is mowed into windrows in the phase of yellow-green ripeness with a seed moisture content of 30-35%. Under no circumstances should this culture be allowed to remain on the field. Otherwise, you can lose up to half the harvest. Rape is mowed using mounted headers. Direct harvesting of the spring form is carried out on clean (in terms of weeds) fields under good weather conditions.
Of course, the technology for cultivating spring rape also has a theoretical basis. Fedotov V.A., Sviridov A.K. and Fedotov S.V., for example, in their book “Agricultural Technologies of Grain and Industrial Crops” accurately described the methods of cultivating this form of crop.
Growing winter rapeseed for seeds
Phosphorus fertilizers in this case are applied under Nitrogen fertilizers are used in the spring at the very beginning of the growing season. Winter rapeseed seeds, like spring rapeseed, must be processed.
In autumn, weeds on the field grow very quickly. In some cases, they can even suppress young crops. Therefore, pre-emergence herbicides must be used without fail when growing winter forms.
This variety of rapeseed is usually sown in the 1st or 2nd decade of August. In Belarus, the technology for cultivating winter rapeseed, for example, involves planting it on August 10-15. In any case, this procedure is usually carried out a month before planting winter grain crops. A good rapeseed harvest can only be ensured if it goes under the snow with the following biometric indicators:
According to technology, when cultivating rapeseed for oilseeds, it is important to ensure that the plantings of this crop are sufficiently dense. The field with this plant should be inspected in the spring immediately after the snow melts. If significant thinning is detected, it is recommended to complete the planting with a spring variety of rapeseed.
Advantages as green manure
When growing for seeds, rapeseed cultivation technology must be followed exactly. The same applies to the method of planting this crop as green manure. Thus, rapeseed is actually used very often on farms. The advantages of this crop as green manure are:
the ability to quickly grow thick green mass;
development of the root system, which ensures high-quality soil aeration;
the presence in tissues of essential oils that can reduce the incidence of soil diseases.
The green mass of this plant contains a lot of nitrogen. In this regard, rapeseed is second only to legumes.
Technology for cultivating winter rapeseed as green manure
Thus, rapeseed is usually sown under various kinds of seedling crops: peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, etc. The exception in this case is cabbage. Winter rapeseed is planted when used as green manure after harvesting the main crops. Usually this is the 2-3rd decade of August.
According to the technology for cultivating winter rapeseed in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, the soil for the crop is first loosened with a Fokin flat cutter or cultivator. Mineral and organic fertilizers are also added to the soil. In this case, planting is carried out at the rate of 150-200 grams of seeds per hundred square meters. The seeds are pre-treated and mixed with sand. The planting material is deepened by 2-3 cm. The row spacing is left at approximately 15 cm.
According to the established technologies, rapeseed when cultivated as green manure should be cut with a cultivator about a month before planting the main crops. At the same time, the earth is dug up and the layers are turned over.
Growing spring form as green manure
In this case, rapeseed is used as a precursor for winter grain crops. Sowing of the spring form when used as green manure is carried out from March to August. This type of rapeseed usually does not grow long in fields before mowing. It is cut off during the flowering period. The technology for cultivating spring rape as green manure, of course, also involves turning over the soil layers after cutting. In order for the green mass in the ground to rot faster, the field must then be additionally watered.
Pests and measures to combat them
According to the technology for cultivating rapeseed in Siberia, the Urals, the Central regions, etc., this crop must be treated from insects from time to time. Plantings of this annual plant are damaged by various kinds of pests, unfortunately, quite often. Spring rapeseed can especially suffer from insects. Quite often this crop is damaged, for example, by pests such as:
Cruciferous rape flea beetle. This pest can attack all green parts of rapeseed. To combat this insect in plantings, insecticides are usually used, made, for example, based on substances such as deltamethrin, dimethoate, fenvalerate.
Rapeseed flower beetle. This insect eats unopened plant buds. They fight the flower beetle by spraying the plantings with insecticides during the budding period.
Onion moth caterpillars. These pests damage plant leaves and sometimes their stems. To combat this pest, products based on deltamethrin or lambda-cyhalothrin are usually used.
Cabbage moth caterpillars. This insect usually damages rapeseed leaves. In this case, to combat the pest, it is recommended to use insecticides based on cypermethrin or gamma-cygolathrin.
The best varieties of winter rapeseed
Breeding work with this crop is, of course, quite serious. A wide variety of winter rapeseed varieties can be grown in the fields. Most of them are characterized by high productivity. But the most popular varieties of this crop among farmers are:
"Atlant". This variety is excellent for growing in almost any region of Russia. Its advantages include high yield and abundant branching.
"Freezing". This variety of rapeseed is usually grown in regions with cold climates, for example, in Siberia and the Urals. In addition to frost resistance, its advantages include a high degree of resistance to disease and frost.
The most popular varieties of spring rapeseed
From this group, the varieties most often grown in fields are:
"Salsa KL". This early ripening hybrid is valued by agricultural workers primarily for its good resistance to lodging and seed shedding.
"VNIS 100". This relatively new variety is suitable mainly for growing in the forest-steppe zone. Its advantages include a high percentage of oil content in the seeds.
Is it possible to grow in the country
To obtain oilseeds, rapeseed is, of course, cultivated only on large farms. As a green manure, this crop is also grown on private country plots. The technology for cultivating and harvesting rapeseed in this case is used almost the same as in the fields.
To sow one hundred square meters in suburban areas, about 200 g of seeds are used. If there are animals or poultry on the farm, you can plant rapeseed even thicker. You can sow this crop in the garden from early spring to late autumn - as needed.
For convenience, rapeseed seeds, when planted in a summer cottage, are usually mixed with sand in a ratio of 1:50. Next, the planting material is scattered over the previously dug and leveled area, embedded in the ground with a rake.
The seeds of this crop usually germinate 4-5 days after sowing. Subsequently, growing, rapeseed occupies almost the entire area of the site. This green manure is mowed in the garden, as in the fields, in the flowering phase. The green mass is embedded in the ground with a shovel.
Instead of a conclusion
Thus, we found out what a plant like rapeseed is. Cultivation technology, biological characteristics, and the agricultural significance of this crop - all this was examined in detail by us. This culture, as you can see, is undemanding and hardy.
Unfortunately, not too much rapeseed is grown in Russia. However, recently agricultural enterprises have begun to pay more and more attention to this crop. After all, the benefits from growing this plant (both for oilseeds and as green manure) can actually be enormous. It is quite possible that in the near future rapeseed will still take its rightful place in the list of agricultural crops cultivated in Russia.
Despite the fact that rapeseed began to be grown in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century, today most Russians know little about this crop. Meanwhile, this is one of the most important oilseed plants, the economic importance of which is increasing from year to year. With each new agricultural season, the area under this crop increases, which also indicates the prospects of rapeseed.
Origin and distribution of rapeseed
Rapeseed is a plant of the Brassica family, an annual herbaceous plant. It is noteworthy that rapeseed is not found in the wild (if you do not take into account wild specimens that grow like weeds). It is believed that this crop was artificially created about 6 thousand years ago by crossing rapeseed with ordinary garden cabbage.
There is no consensus in the scientific community about where exactly rapeseed first appeared. Most experts believe that the plant's birthplace is the Mediterranean region.
For a long time, rapeseed had almost no special importance for agriculture. Only in the 16th century, with the beginning of the agrarian revolution in England and Holland, did they begin to actively cultivate it. Then rapeseed began to quickly spread further into continental Europe, reaching Russia at the beginning of the century before last.
Until the 1970s, rapeseed cultivation was focused primarily on feed for cattle. It was during this period that a campaign to promote rapeseed oil to the consumer market began in Canada. Since that time, rapid growth in world rapeseed production began. This process accelerated noticeably in the 2000s, when demand for biofuels for cars increased. Rapeseed oil has proven to be an excellent feedstock for biodiesel.
As for our country, in Soviet times, when the economy was planned and extremely centralized, the importance of oilseed rape was questioned. Low domestic demand, lack of quality varieties and a weak base of plant protection products led to the fact that in the post-war years, cultivation of this crop was almost completely stopped on one sixth of the land.
The idea of resuming the cultivation of rapeseed in the USSR was returned to in 1980. Then the Rapeseed Institute was even created in Lipetsk, which began improving the variety base. In subsequent years, the area under crops increased, but not at a very high rate. Only in the 2000s, against the backdrop of the stabilization of the economic situation in the country and the introduction of agrotechnical and breeding achievements of recent decades, a rapid increase in the area under this crop began. So, if in 2005 200 thousand hectares were allocated for rapeseed, then in 2013 there were already more than 1300 thousand hectares.
But in global rapeseed production, Russia still remains a minor player. While in our country only about 1 million tons of rapeseed grain are produced annually, in Canada they produce 15 million tons, in China - 14 million tons, in India - 7-8 million tons, in Germany - 5-6 million tons.
Economic importance of rapeseed
For a long time, rapeseed was grown as a feed crop for livestock, primarily cattle. Since this plant has a large green mass and nutritional composition of the stems, it was also actively used as a pasture crop. Until now, many farmers grow rapeseed precisely for these purposes.
However, the main focus when cultivating rapeseed is still obtaining oil. Globally, its production ranks third after palm and soybeans. And the volumes of global import/export of rapeseed oil are second only to the mentioned oils, as well as sunflower oil.
It is noteworthy that the scope of use of rapeseed oil itself is quite extensive. Firstly, after deep processing it is used in home cooking, as well as in the production of oil-containing food products. The taste qualities of rapeseed oil are close to olive oil, which makes it one of the best among all edible vegetable oils.
Secondly, oilseed rape can be used for technical purposes. In fact, modern interest in canola began during World War II, when Canada began growing it to produce lubricant for military equipment from its oil. It is still actively used in the chemical industry, including for the production of lubricants.
Thirdly, the rise in price of petroleum products due to a series of fuel and energy crises of varying degrees of scale that took place in 2004-2013, as well as the tightening of environmental legislation in the EU, increased the demand for biofuels. Rapeseed turned out to be one of the most suitable crops for biodiesel production.
Finally, it is a good green manure, meaning rapeseed can be used as a soil fertilizer. It is also an excellent honey plant. From 1 hectare of rapeseed, bees receive up to a hundredweight of high-quality honey. Also, do not forget that when processing seeds into oil, a large amount of cake remains, which is in great demand on livestock farms as livestock feed.
Rapeseed varieties
As with other important crops, each country has dozens, if not hundreds, of rapeseed varieties adapted to local climatic conditions. There is no point in listing them all, since even each climatic region of Russia has its own varieties. Let's look at just the general classification.
Currently, farmers cultivate two main varieties of rapeseed: winter and spring. There are no significant differences in morphology between them. The whole difference between them is that winter rapeseed tolerates winter cold better, but is more vulnerable to drought. Of course, winter rapeseed also has a higher yield: up to 30 tons of green mass per 1 hectare in the fodder direction and up to 3 tons of grain in the oilseed direction. For comparison, spring rape produces no more than 1.5 tons of grain per hectare.
Another classification of varieties is based on the intended purpose of the crop. Here are the following types of varieties:
Edible grades are intended to obtain valuable vegetable oil for culinary purposes. Back in the 1960s, when attempts were made to bring rapeseed oil to the consumer market, there was almost no demand for it due to its unusual greenish color and unpleasant taste. Through the efforts of geneticists, special varieties of rapeseed have been developed, the oil of which is as close in its characteristics to olive oil as possible or even superior to it. A distinctive feature of these varieties is the low content of erucic acid and high oleic acid.
Technical rapeseed is aimed at obtaining raw materials for the chemical industry and, primarily, for the production of biofuels. These varieties, on the contrary, contain a lot of erucic acid.
Forage varieties are characterized by a high protein content in the green mass and a minimal level of glycosinolates. They also generally have larger shoots, as this is what farmers need.
Prospects for growing rapeseed in Russia
Domestic agricultural enterprises are interested in absolutely all types of rapeseed varieties - fodder, industrial oilseeds, edible oilseeds. As a green fodder for livestock, rapeseed has almost no analogues among annual plants. It is characterized by high nutritional value and high yield. Its use in crop rotation on a livestock farm can produce excellent results. Especially when there is a shortage of natural green pastures. Rapeseed green manure saturates the soil with potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.
Technical rapeseed oil is in very little demand in Russia itself. However, there is a large European market nearby, which has a great need for this raw material for industrial processing. There is also a great demand for rapeseed oil in neighboring China.
Edible rapeseed oil is also mainly exported, since the domestic market is practically not interested in it. Niche consumers are too accustomed to sunflower oil and are even very wary of olive oil. Against this background, rapeseed oil is often perceived very negatively.
Since rapeseed is a raw material for the production of biodiesel, its prices are directly related to the cost of petroleum products. In 2005-2013, rapeseed oil was constantly becoming more expensive, which resulted in a rapid increase in its production in Russia. However, in 2014-2016, when world oil prices went down, rapeseed prices followed suit. And although its price has not fallen as radically as oil, domestic farmers, for whom the sale of rapeseed has begun to bring in less money, have somewhat reduced the area under this crop in the last two or three years.
Rapeseed cultivation technology
In Russia, the cultivation of winter rapeseed is based on the use of “00” type varieties (not containing erucic acid and with a minimum content of glucosinolate).
An important stage in preparing a field for rapeseed is the semi-steam system. Immediately after harvesting the predecessor, the soil is peeled once or twice, followed by moldboard plowing with rolling and cultivation. In this case, you need to maintain a pause of 20 days between plowing and sowing.
Nitrogen fertilizers are applied only before sowing and in spring. It is not recommended to apply nitrogen in the fall. To combat pests, pre-sowing seeds are treated with insecticides and
Rape– a well-known oilseed and fodder crop of the cruciferous family.
The plant has been cultivated since time immemorial - in culture Rape known as far back as 4 millennia BC.
Homeland Rapeseed Some researchers consider Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands, Great Britain), while others consider the Mediterranean. It is possible that rapeseed culture spread from the Mediterranean to India, where rapeseed has been grown since ancient times. Most likely, the plant was brought to India by English and Dutch colonialists.
Rape was among the first plants cultivated by humans. References to its use or the use of close plant relatives are found in the earliest manuscripts of European and Asian civilizations. There is, for example, an opinion that Rape was cultivated 4 thousand years ago in India.
Ancient civilizations in Asia and along the Mediterranean used Rapeseed oil for lighting because it produced a smokeless flame.
The difficulty in accurately establishing the time of introduction of rapeseed into the culture lies in the fact that the term “rapeseed” can designate various species of the cabbage family - Rape, rapeseed, mustard. In recent years, a new term has emerged - "canola" - Rape, improved by Canadian breeders.
In Europe, rapeseed became known in the 13th century, and its cultivation began at the end of the 17th century, first in Belgium and Holland, then in Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, and Russia. For example, in Sweden the history of cultivation Rapeseed can be traced back to the time of Linnaeus, i.e. until the middle of the 18th century. This great scientist, back in 1749, noted the small scale of cultivation and processing of rapeseed and advocated the expansion of crops Rapeseed. In those days, rapeseed oil was used both in food and for lighting homes. However, industrial use Rapeseed was quite limited until the development of steam power, when it was discovered that rapeseed oil adhered better than any other lubricant to metal surfaces in contact with water and steam.
Exact time of appearance Rapeseed has not been established in Russia, but it is known that in 1830, for the first time, rapeseed seeds were sent from Russia abroad. In 1877, N. Melnikov’s monograph “Oil Extraction Production” was published, which listed oil extraction plants in Russia. These factories processed, in particular, Rapeseed seeds and produced oil used (in pure form or more often mixed with mineral oil) for lubrication, as lamp oil, and for similar purposes.
At the beginning of the 20th century. the area under rapeseed in the USSR reached 300 thousand hectares, the country exported 175 thousand tons Rapeseed. Then there was a decline in cultivation Rapeseed, and at the end of the 20th century. again turned to this culture.
Properties of modern varieties Rapeseed allow it to be cultivated in areas with different climates, including the northern regions of Russia. Rap Seeds are grown in the Ural, West Siberian, Central, East Siberian, Volga-Vyatka, Volga and other economic regions of Russia.
Quality improvement Rapeseed oil caused a sharp increase in demand for it throughout the world. The volume of rapeseed oil production was higher than the volume of sunflower oil production already in 1985 and over 30 years increased more than 8 times, reaching 12.7 million tons in 1999. Rapeseed oil became the third largest in the world in terms of production volume after palm and soybean oil. . Almost a quarter of production comes from China, in world trade Rapeseed oil, including mustard, is in fourth place in terms of import and export volumes after palm, soybean and sunflower.
Nowadays, in many countries, rapeseed is cultivated primarily as an oilseed crop. Canola oil is widely consumed in food in many countries of the world for frying, salads, making margarine, etc. In terms of taste, it is equal to olive oil, is in demand and is considered one of the best vegetable oils. It remains transparent for a long time and does not acquire an unpleasant odor when exposed to air, like soy, for example. In the United States, canola oil has been officially safe for human consumption since 1985.
IN Rapeseed contains 35-50% fat, 18-31% well-balanced protein in amino acids, 5-7% fiber. By fat content and sum of fat and protein Rape Superior to soybeans, not inferior to sunflower and mustard.
At the same time, due to the significant saturation of the world market with edible fats, the demand for non-food use is increasing. Rapeseed in future. Recently, much attention has been paid to the problems of producing liquid fuel from plant sources, in particular for the northern regions, which can be used Rapeseed oil. With the tightening of regulations on the toxicity of vehicle exhaust gases, biofuel from rapeseed oil may become one of the options to solve this problem.
Rape It is also used as a forage crop - it is used for green mass, haylage and grass meal in pure form and in a mixture with other plants. Besides, Rape is a good pasture crop for pigs and sheep, as it grows quickly and is rich in protein, which includes sulfur. Sheep grazing on crops Rapeseed reduces their incidence and increases the yield of wool and meat. Rapeseed – green fertilizer and excellent honey plant – from 1 hectare of crops Rapeseed bees collect up to 90 kg of honey.
After processing seeds into oil Rape produces cakes and meal that are sufficiently complete in terms of quantity and quality of protein. Its protein, like soy protein, is close in composition to the protein of eggs, milk and cow butter. The cake, cleared of the seed shell, which reduces its digestibility, is close in quality to soybean cake.
By the middle of the 19th century. rapeseed, along with other oilseeds (colza and mustard), was a fairly common crop in Europe. The area under it in Germany alone amounted to 300,000 hectares. Exactly Rapeseed oil became in demand as a technical oil until they learned how to obtain technical oil from petroleum.
From Germany, rapeseed, apparently through Poland and Western Ukraine, where it is still widely cultivated, came to Russia under the name “turnip seed.” Already in 1870 Rapeseed crops in Russia reached 28 thousand hectares, and over the past 30 years the area of rapeseed has amounted to 387,000 hectares.
In Russia, rapeseed began to be cultivated at the beginning of the 19th century, mainly in the Penza and Nizhny Novgorod provinces. The fall in bread prices and increased demand for industrial oils stimulated the rapid development of culture in Russia Rapeseed primarily for export.
At the end of the 20th century. together with the mitigation of the grain crisis and an increase in world market demand for Russian grain, mainly wheat, they began to decline Rapeseed crops and in Russia. At the same time, rapeseed remained in Ukraine for some time, occupying an area of up to 40,000 hectares and remaining the main oilseed crop. In those days, sunflower occupied only 10,000 hectares in Ukraine.
In the 30s rapeseed became relatively widespread in the UK, USA and New Zealand, and somewhat later in a number of Western and Eastern countries, primarily in China. Rapeseed cake was used as livestock feed, and the green mass was used to make silage.
The allocation of record areas for rapeseed and exceptionally high yields made it possible to increase global production Rapeseed in 1999 to 42.5 million tons. Rapeseed harvests are especially high in China, India, Canada and EU countries - France, Denmark, and Great Britain. The world's leading rapeseed producers today are China, Canada and India. These three countries produce 57% of the world's crop. Eastern Europe has the largest harvests Rapeseed collected in Poland and the Czech Republic (1.1 million tons each).
The main regions of the world for growing rapeseed are: Asia - 46.8% of world production, Europe - 30.3, North America - 19.2%.
In the CIS countries, only 0.18 million tons are grown per year, including in Russia - 0.11, in Ukraine - 0.02 and in Belarus - 0.02 million tons. In Russia, the area under rapeseed is steadily declining. There are no rational technologies for growing crops, no effective pesticides and no material and technical base for seed processing.
Depending on the specific natural conditions of individual countries and regions, spring (annual) or winter (biennial) varieties are grown. Rape. Winter rapeseed is very demanding on the climate; its frost resistance is low. An even greater danger for this rapeseed is drought or excess heat during the winter months. Spring rape (colza) is less demanding on climatic conditions, but in comparison with winter rape it is less productive and inferior to it in oil content.
In the continental climate of Eastern Europe, the cultivation of winter crops Rapeseed is a risky business. In most regions of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other CIS countries, it is more advisable to grow spring rape.
Improving the quality of products Rapeseed oil caused a sharp increase in demand for it throughout the world. In world trade, rapeseed oil, including mustard oil, is in fourth place in terms of import and export volumes after palm oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil.
Currently in many countries Rape It is cultivated primarily as an oilseed crop. Canola oil is widely used as food in many countries around the world.
IN Composition of rapeseed contains a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, which play a large role in regulating fat metabolism, reducing cholesterol levels, the possibility of blood clots and a number of other diseases, including tumors. They are not found in fats of animal origin or are present in small quantities. In addition, there is evidence that rapeseed oil contains substances that are resistant to radiation. Total amount of essential amino acids Rape not inferior to soybean, sunflower and mustard.
Rapeseed oil with a high content of erucic acid is successfully used in many industries - in metallurgy, for example, it is used for hardening steel.
Rapeseed oil It is resistant to low temperatures and is used as a lubricant in jet engines.
Having the ability to add sulfur at a temperature of 160-250°C and form a rubbery mass known as factis, rapeseed oil is also used as a raw material for the production of elastic materials. Straw Rapeseed and pod valves are suitable for the production of furfural and cellulose. Besides, Rapeseed oil used in paint and varnish, cosmetics, soap making, printing, leather, chemical and textile industries.
Chemical composition
Rapeseed seeds have a unique chemical composition that distinguishes them from the seeds of most other oilseed plants. This unusual chemistry relates mainly to two properties - the presence of erucic acid in the glycerides and phospholipids and the presence of sulfur-containing glucosides in the protein portion of the seeds, plus the presence of myrosinase, an enzyme capable of breaking down thioglucosides.
In rapeseeds traditional varieties contain 42-52% erucic acid to the total fatty acids of the oil and 4-8% glucosinolates in terms of dry fat-free matter.
Note
The presence of erucic acid may be considered a negative or a possible feature Rapeseed, depending on the intended use of the oil produced from these seeds (for food and technical purposes). Evidence has been obtained that erucic acid, which is contained in oils obtained from the seeds of the cruciferous family, has a negative effect on the body, primarily on the metabolism of lipids in some organs. Feeding Rapeseed oil, rich in erucic acid, caused necrotic changes in the myocardium, deviations in a number of biochemical processes, disturbances in kidney function, and cirrhosis of the liver in animals and poultry. Thioglycosides in the oil cause irritation of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, respiratory tract and disruption of the thyroid gland. Thioglycosides also cause corrosion of equipment; when hydrogenating oil, they reduce the efficiency and service life of the catalyst.
Remember! Rapeseed oil is food medicine! It is necessary to use it more widely in systematic nutrition!
Spring rape has been grown in fields for a long time, but over the past 20 years the demand for the plant has increased greatly. What is the reason for such a stir? The fact is that the crop is of great value not only as a raw material for further processing, but also as a green manure. Below we will describe in detail what rapeseed is, how to grow it, and what are the features of using it as green manure.
What is spring rape?
Rapeseed is an annual plant of the Cabbage genus of the Cruciferous family. It is a natural hybrid, bred by nature, not man. There are two types of plants: spring and winter.
The root of spring rape or colza, as it is also called, penetrates 2 meters deep into the ground; at about a depth of 40 cm, the main root begins to branch horizontally. The ground part grows up to 2 meters no more. The stems are usually straight. They reach 3 cm in diameter. 20-30 branches of the first order always extend from the main stem. Green or bluish stems are covered with a waxy coating.
There are three types of leaves on the branches. Below, near the ground, they have a rounded upper part, rugged, collected in a basal rosette. Although it is worth noting that only the winter species has a rosette, the spring species, as a rule, does not have one. In the middle are spear-shaped leaves. At the very top, the leaflets are lanceolate, widened at the base and narrowed towards the edge. Like the stems, the leaves have a weak or strong waxy coating, the color can be green-blue or purple.
Small, yellow flowers are collected in corymbs. The fruit is represented by a pod up to 12 cm long. Each pod contains up to 30 small dark-colored seeds. Spring rapeseed seeds are slightly smaller than those of winter rapeseed. Thus, the weight of a thousand spring seeds reaches 5 g, and winter seeds - 7 g. The seeds do not lose their quality for 6-7 years.
What varieties of rapeseed are there?
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Spring colza has several varieties. It is pointless to list them all. Most will be difficult to even find in seed form. The most commonly sown and sold rapeseeds are East Siberian, Kuban, Lvov, and Vasilkovsky.
A feature of all types of spring rape is greater resistance to frost than its winter counterpart. Seedlings can withstand frosts down to -3 degrees, and adult plants up to -8 degrees Celsius. Given that the plant is planted in spring or summer, these indicators are quite sufficient to obtain a developed, strong crop.
The disadvantage of these varieties is their lower yield compared to winter varieties.
Spring rapeseed is used for various purposes, which is why it is grown everywhere.
Ripened tops can also be used to produce nutritious, high-quality compost.
Spring rape as green manure
The use of rapeseed as green manure began quite a long time ago. When growing a crop, the gardener receives a crop for further processing, which has a beneficial effect on the soil.
The plant is resistant to most diseases, so it does not cause serious problems when growing. As a green manure, spring rapeseed is sown in the ground in March or mid-April. The plant reliably retains moisture in the soil, secures the soil layer with rhizomes, stimulates aeration and water exchange in the ground. The essential oil that the culture contains rids the soil of pests and diseases, and also improves the mineral composition of the soil. Soil enrichment also occurs due to the fact that nutrients from the lower layers of the soil travel through the roots to the upper ones.
The plant is not grown as a green manure for long. After large sprouts appear, it can be mowed, and the remaining “stumps” can be treated with EM liquid. Thanks to the work of bacteria and microorganisms, high-quality humus is formed from rapeseed residues in the garden within a few days.
When growing spring rapeseed as green manure, you need to know several of its features and subtleties of cultivation.
To increase the effectiveness of green manure, it is sown in combination with other plants. For rapeseed, good “neighbors” can be: oilseed radish, mustard, vetch.
How is rapeseed grown?
Spring rape is sown in early spring along with any early cereals. The growing season is 100 days.
Before planting, the soil is dug up and leveled. In order to improve yields or speed up germination, you can apply mineral and organic fertilizers. It is important that the area for planting the crop is completely free of weeds. The fact is that a young plant can be heavily suppressed by weeds and grow slowly because of this.
Before planting, it is also recommended to prepare the seeds of the crop - treat them in a solution of any complex remedy for pests and diseases. Suitable: “Promet”, “Cosmos”, etc. For sowing, furrows are made at a distance of 15 cm from each other. Seeds are sown in a row method to a depth of 2 cm.
Care consists of timely watering and weed removal. In rare cases, pest control is required. Harvesting can be done towards the end of July. In this case, the plant is mowed for the first time even before flowering begins; the above-ground part grows back quickly. This way you can get more harvest in one season.
