Rapeseed
Rapeseed (Brassica napus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Capparales Family: Brassicaceae Genus: Brassica Species: B. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Dicotyledons, or "dicots", is a name for a group of Flowering plants whose Seed typically has two embryonic leaves or Cotyledons There Capparales is a Botanical name of an order of Flowering plants It was used in the Cronquist system for an order in subclass Dilleniidae Brassicaceae or Cruciferae, also known as the crucifers, the mustard family or cabbage family is a family (the third lowest primary Brassica ( Brás-si-ca) is a genus of plants in the mustard family ( Brassicaceae) napus
Binomial name
Brassica napus L.[1]

Rapeseed (Brassica napus), also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rapaseed and (in the case of one particular group of cultivars) canola, is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family). Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for Canola is a type of Edible oil derived from plants initially bred in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur Stefansson in the 1970s Brassicaceae or Cruciferae, also known as the crucifers, the mustard family or cabbage family is a family (the third lowest primary The name derives from the Latin for turnip, rāpum or rāpa, and is first recorded in English at the end of the 14th century. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. For similar vegetables also called "turnip" see Turnip (disambiguation. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Older writers usually distinguished the turnip and rape by the adjectives round and long(-rooted) respectively. ^[2] See also Brassica napobrassica, which may be considered a variety of Brassica napus. The swede, (yellow turnip, swedish turnip or rutabaga ( Brassica napobrassica, or Brassica napus var Some botanists include the closely related Brassica campestris within B. napus. (See Triangle of U)

Contents 1 Cultivation and uses 2 Nutritional value 3 Biodiesel 4 Health effects 5 Controversy 6 Production 7 Pests and diseases 7.1 Animal pests 7.2 Diseases 8 Genome sequencing and genetics 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

Cultivation and uses

Rapeseed is grown for the production of animal feed, vegetable oil for human consumption, and biodiesel; leading producers include the European Union, Canada, the United States, Australia, China and India. The Triangle of U is a theory about the evolution and relationships between members of the Plant Genus Brassica. Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based Diesel fuel consisting of short chain Alkyl ( Methyl or ethyl) Esters made by The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country In India, it is grown on 13% of cropped land. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, rapeseed was the third leading source of vegetable oil in the world in 2000, after soybean and oil palm, and also the world's second leading source of protein meal, although only one-fifth of the production of the leading soybean meal. The oil palms ( Elaeis) comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl World production is growing rapidly, with FAO reporting that 36 million tonnes of rapeseed was produced in the 2003-4 season, and 46 million tonnes in 2004-5. In Europe, rapeseed is primarily cultivated for animal feed (due to its very high lipid and medium protein content), and is a leading option for Europeans to avoid importation of GMO products. Lipids are broadly defined as any fat- Soluble ( lipophilic) naturally-occurring Molecule, such as fats oils waxes cholesterol sterols fat-soluble This article is about organisms which have been genetically modified

Natural rapeseed oil contains erucic acid, which is mildly toxic to humans in large doses but is used as a food additive in smaller doses. Erucic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 Fatty acid, denoted 221 ω-9 Canola, originally a syncopated form of the abbreviation "Can. Canola is a type of Edible oil derived from plants initially bred in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur Stefansson in the 1970s O. , L-A. " (Canadian Oilseed, Low-Acid) that was used by the Manitoba government to label the seed during its experimental stages, is now a tradename for low erucic acid rapeseed. Sometimes the "Canola-quality" label is applied to other varieties as well^[3].

The rapeseed is the valuable, harvested component of the crop. The crop is also grown as a winter-cover crop. Winter is one of the four Seasons of Temperate zones Calculated astronomically, it begins on the Solstice and ends on the Equinox Broadly defined a cover crop is any annual, biennial, or Perennial plant grown as a Monoculture (one crop type grown together or Polyculture It provides good coverage of the soil in winter, and limits nitrogen run-off. Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 The plant is ploughed back in the soil or used as bedding. On some ecological or organic operations, livestock such as sheep or cattle are allowed to graze on the plants. Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on Crop rotation, Green manure, Compost, Biological pest control, and mechanical Cultivation Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family

Processing of rapeseed for oil production provides rapeseed animal meal as a by-product. The by-product is a high-protein animal feed, competitive with soya. The feed is mostly employed for cattle feeding, but also for pigs and chickens (though less valuable for these). Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times The chicken ( Gallus gallus, sometimes G gallus domesticus) is a domesticated Fowl which is traditionally believed to have descended from The meal has a very low content of the glucosinolates responsible for metabolism disruption in cattle and pigs. Rapeseed "oil cake" is also used as a fertilizer in China, and may be used for ornamentals, such as Bonsai, as well.

Rapeseed leaves and stems are also edible, similar to those of the related bok choy or kale. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. Chinese cabbage ( Brassica rapa subspecies see below) also known as snow cabbage is a Chinese Leaf vegetable commonly used in Kale or Borecole is a form of Cabbage ( Brassica oleracea Acephala Group) green in color in which the central leaves do not Some varieties of rapeseed (called 油菜, yóu cài, lit. "oil vegetable" in Chinese; yau choy in Cantonese; cải dầu in Vietnamese; and 菜の花, nanohana in Japanese) are sold as greens, primarily in Asian groceries, including those in California where it is known as yao choy or tender greens. Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam) is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities

Rapeseed is a heavy nectar producer, and honeybees produce a light colored, but peppery honey from it. Nectar is a Sugar -rich liquid produced by plants It is produced either by the Flowers in which it attracts pollinating animals or by extrafloral This article refers collectively to all true honey bees for the "common" domesticated honey bee see European honey bee Honey bees Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the It must be extracted immediately after processing is finished, as it will quickly granulate in the honeycomb and will be impossible to extract. A honeycomb is a mass of Hexagonal Wax cells built by Honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of Honey and The honey is usually blended with milder honeys, if used for table use, or sold as bakery grade. A bakery (also called baker's or bakehouse) is an establishment which produces or/and sells Bread, pies pastries Cakes Biscuits Rapeseed growers contract with beekeepers for the pollination of the crop. A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law A beekeeper is a person who keeps Honey bees for the purposes of securing commodities such as Honey, Beeswax, Pollen; pollinating

Nutritional value

Canola oil (or rapeseed oil) contains both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in a ratio of 2:1 and is second only to flax oil in omega-3 fatty acid. n −6 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−6 fatty acids or omega-6 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated Fatty acids n −3 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−3 fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated Fatty acids that Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum Canola oil's proponents claim that it is one of the most heart-healthy oils and has been reported to reduce cholesterol levels, lower serum tryglyceride levels, and keep platelets from sticking together. Cholesterol is a Lipid found in the Cell membranes and transported in the Blood plasma of all Animals It is an essential component of mammalian (more properly known as, TAG or triacylglyceride) is Glyceride in which the Glycerol is Esterified with three Fatty acids It is the

Other sources (such as The Weston Price Foundation[1]) have well researched concerns about the possible heath risks of Canola oil: animal testing that indicates growth retardation, a higher incidence of heart lesions of the myocardium, decrease in platelet count and increase in platelet size, vitamin E deficiency, high blood pressure, and lowered life spans. Myocardium is the muscular tissue of the Heart. Relationship to other layers The other tissues of the heart are the Endocardium Platelets, or Thrombocytes, are small cytoplasmic bodies derived from cells They circulate in the Blood of Mammals and are involved Tocopherol, a class of chemical compounds of which many have Vitamin E activity describes a series of Organic compounds consisting of various methylated phenols Hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the Blood pressure is chronically elevated In many of these studies, when saturated fats were added to the diets, health improved. Saturated fat is Fat that consists of Triglycerides containing only saturated Fatty acids Explanation Fat that occurs There is also the concern that the modern process of extracting the oils with high-pressure mechanical pressing along with industrial solvent residue in the oil such as Hexane in itself can be toxic. A solvent is a liquid or gas that dissolves a solid liquid or gaseous Solute, resulting in a Solution. Hexane is an Alkane Hydrocarbon with the Chemical formula CH3(CH24CH3 or C6H14 Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism These heat, high pressure and solvent processing methods[2] are common with most contemporary vegetable oils. Since omega-3 fatty acids rapidly become offensive smelling and subject to rancidification when processed with high heat and oxygen, the oil is then subjected to a deodorizing process which removes much of the Omega-3 and replaces it with trans fats. n −3 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−3 fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated Fatty acids that In Chemistry, especially Biochemistry, a fatty acid is a Carboxylic acid often with a long unbranched Aliphatic tail ( chain) which Rancidification is the decomposition of Fats Oils and other Lipids by Hydrolysis or Oxidation, or both Trans fat is the common name for a type of Unsaturated fat with trans - isomer Fatty acid (s The actual claims of the Omega 3 content of processed canola oil have been challenged by a study[3] done at the University of Florida which found trans fat levels of up to 4. The University of Florida ( Florida or UF) is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant major Research 6 in commercial canola oil as opposed to the Canadian Governments assertion that the oil has 0. Canola is a type of Edible oil derived from plants initially bred in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur Stefansson in the 1970s The politics of Canada function within a framework of Constitutional monarchy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic 2 percent trans fat. Trans fat is the common name for a type of Unsaturated fat with trans - isomer Fatty acid (s Because of concerns about inhibited growth in human infants, canola oil is not permitted in infant formula by the FDA. Infant formula is an artificial substitute for human Breast milk, designed for Infant consumption

Some UK farmers (such as Hillfarm Oils[4]) & Farrington Oils[5]) have started to produce cold-pressed rapeseed oil as a cooking oil and dressing.

Biodiesel

Rapeseed oil is used in the manufacture of biodiesel for powering motor vehicles. Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based Diesel fuel consisting of short chain Alkyl ( Methyl or ethyl) Esters made by Biodiesel may be used in pure form in newer engines without engine damage, and is frequently combined with fossil-fuel diesel in ratios varying from 2% to 20% biodiesel. Diesel or Diesel fuel (ˈdiːzəl in general is any Fuel used in Diesel engines The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum Formerly, due to the costs of growing, crushing, and refining rapeseed biodiesel, rapeseed derived biodiesel cost more to produce than standard diesel fuel. Prices of rapeseed oil are at very high levels presently (start November 05) due to increased demand on rapeseed oil for this purpose. Rapeseed oil is the preferred oil stock for biodiesel production in most of Europe, partly because rapeseed produces more oil per unit of land area as compared to other oil sources, such as soy beans.

Health effects

Rapeseed has been linked with adverse effects in asthma and hay fever sufferers. Asthma is a chronic Condition involving the Respiratory system in which the airways occasionally constrict become inflamed, and are Hay Fever is a comic play written by Noel Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss Some suggest that oilseed pollen increases breathing difficulties. Pollen is a fine to coarse powder consisting of microgametophytes ( pollen grains) which produce the male Gametes (sperm cells of But this is unlikely as rapeseed is an entomophilous crop, with pollen transfer primarily by insects. See also Pollination syndrome Entomophily is a form of pollination whereby Pollen is distributed by Insects particularly Bees Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Others suggest that this is caused by the inhalation of oilseed rape dust^[4], and that allergies to the pollen are relatively rare. Allergy is a disorder of the Immune system often also referred to as Atopy. It may also be that since rapeseed in flower has a distinctive and pungent smell, hay fever sufferers wrongly blame the rapeseed just because they can smell it. An alternative explanation may be that it is simply the sheer volume of rapeseed pollen in the air around farmland which triggers an allergic reaction in hayfever sufferers on inhalation, or following prolonged exposure to high levels.

Controversy

The Monsanto Company has genetically engineered new cultivars of rapeseed that are resistant to the effects of its herbicide Roundup. The Monsanto Company ( is a multinational Agricultural biotechnology Corporation. Genetic engineering, Recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM and gene splicing are terms that apply to the direct A herbicide is used to kill unwanted Plants Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired Crop relatively unharmed Roundup is the brand name of a systemic broad-spectrum Herbicide produced by the U They have been vigorously prosecuting farmers found to have the Roundup Ready gene in Canola in their fields without paying a license fee. History See also History of genetics The existence of genes was first suggested by Gregor Mendel (1822-1884 who in the 1860s studied inheritance These farmers have claimed the Roundup Ready gene was blown into their fields and crossed with unaltered Canola. Other farmers claim that after spraying Roundup in non-Canola fields to kill weeds before planting, Roundup Ready volunteers are left behind, causing extra expense to rid their fields of the weeds.

In a closely followed legal battle, the Supreme Court of Canada found in favor of Monsanto's patent infringement claim for illegal growing of Roundup Ready in its 2004 ruling on Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser. The Supreme Court of Canada ( French: Cour suprême du Canada) is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeal in the Canadian Monsanto Canada Inc v Schmeiser 1 SCR 902 2004 SCC 34 is a leading Supreme Court of Canada case on Patent rights for Biotechnology. The case garnered international controversy as a court-sanctioned legitimation for the global patent protection of genetically modified crops.

Production

Worldwide production of rapeseed (including canola) rose to 46. 4 million metric tons in 2005, the highest recorded total (source: FAO).

Top Rapeseed Producers - 2005 (million metric ton)
China	13. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES 0
Canada	8. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page 4
India	6. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country 4
Germany	4. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. 7
France	4. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. 4
United Kingdom	1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 9
Poland	1. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland 4
Australia	1. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. 1
World Total	46. 4
Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO)[6]

Worldwide Rapeseed Production (million metric ton)
1965	5. 2
1975	8. 8
1985	19. 2
1995	34. 2
2005	46. 4
Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO)[7]

Pests and diseases

Animal pests

• Harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica)
• Flea beetles (Phyllotreta sp. Flea beetles is a general name applied to the small jumping Beetles of the Leaf beetle family (Chrysomelidae ),
• Diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella),
• Bertha armyworms (Mamestra configurata),
• Root maggots (Delia sp. The Diamondback moth ( Plutella xylostella) sometimes called cabbage moth, is a European moth believed to originate in the Mediterranean region that has since spread The Genus Delia is part of the Fly family Anthomyiidae. The genus Delia contains approximately 300–340 species world-wide )
• Grasshoppers
• Lygus bugs (Lygus)
• Bronzed field beetle larvae
• Snails and slugs

Diseases

• Beet Western Yellows virus
• Blackleg, caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans
• Clubroot, caused by protist Plasmodiophora brassicae
• Sclerotinia white stem rot
• White rust disease, caused by the fungus Albugo candida

Genome sequencing and genetics

The 'A' genome component of the amphidiploid Rapeseed species B. Grasshoppers are Insects of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. The genus Lygus includes over 40 species of plant-feeding insects in the family Miridae. The word snail is a Common name that can be used for almost all members of the Molluscan class Gastropoda which have coiled shells in the Slug is a common non-scientific word which is often applied to any Gastropod mollusk whatsoever that has a very reduced shell a small internal shell Clubroot is a common disease of Cabbages Radishes Turnips and other plants belonging to the family Cruciferae ( mustard family Protists (ˈproʊtɨst are a diverse group of eukaryotic Microorganisms Historically protists were treated as the kingdom Protista but this napus is currently being sequenced by an international consortium. ^[5]

See also

• Canola
• Biosafety
• Transgenic plants
• Triangle of U
• Brassica

References

External links

• PROTAbase on Brassica napus
• Canola Council on truth and myths about Canola
• Origins of Canola oil is toxic falsehood.
• Extracting and refining rapeseed oil
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (05-Dec-2001). CONSENSUS DOCUMENT ON KEY NUTRIENTS AND KEY TOXICANTS IN LOW ERUCIC ACID RAPESEED (CANOLA). ENV/JM/MONO(2001)13. Retrieved 2006-11-27
• University of Melbourne (1999) Multilingual multiscript plant name database. Brassica names. General Botanical Index. Retrieved 2006-11-27
• Safety research: GM oilseed rape Oilseed rape in the environment and in agriculture
• CanolaInfo
• BBC Radio 4 Food Programme on rapeseed oil

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