Oilseed Rape

[OXFORDBEE]

When was Oilseed Rape first used in the UK?

 

[oliver90owner]

Seriously as a crop, I would think the 60s but probably in the late 50s? I would think as soon as the combine was sorted for efficient harvesting (they had been round years before the 50s - but not so common in the UK). Up to then smaller farms, extra capital outlay, and the UK climate with the available (strains of OSR) was an influence. Probably need to ask on a farming forum.

Regards, RAB

 

[Finman]

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History http://www.farm-direct.co.uk/farming/stockcrop/rape/

Historically rape oils were poor quality, containing high levels of eructic acid and the meal contained high levels of glucosinolates. After WW2 breeders reduced the level of eructic acid to very low levels so the oil became a quality oil for human consumption and in the 80's the glucosinolates were also bred out so the meal became an excellent protein source for animal feed. Glucosinolates break down into mustard oil which gives mustard and other brassicas (including leaf brassicas) their characteristic bitter/hot flavour. It is very toxic and is one reason why brassicas have very few specialised pests.

 

[Finman]

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Modern knowledge about rape , nice to know

INTRODUCTION
Oilseed rape (Brassica and related species, Brassicaceae) is now the second largest oilseed crop in the world providing 13% of the world’s supply. The world’s commerce is largely supplied by two species, Brassica napus L. and B. rapa L. Both species contain both spring and winter forms that are distinguished by vernalization requirement. Seeds of these species commonly contain 40% or more oil and produce meals with 35 to 40% protein.

The term “canola” is a registered trademark of the Canadian Canola Association and refers to cultivars of oilseed rape that produce seed oils with less than 2% erucic acid (22:1) and meals with less than 30 mmol of aliphatic glucosinolates per gram. The development and subsequent release of the first canola-quality cultivars by plant breeding programs in Canada during the 1970s created a new, high-value oil and protein crop that has gained tremendous acceptance worldwide.


Production of rape worldwide Rapeseed/Canola million ton

Years 1993-2001 27 - 30 - 34 - 32 - 33 - 36 - 43 - 38


MORE http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-122.html


In Canada over 95% of rape is GM

.

 

[Poly Hive]

Came across a discussion on another list that OSR and Canola, are NOT the same crop which suprised me as I was always taught that "Canola" was the *polite* name for Oil Seed Rape.

The discussion was on price in USof A and rape seed and Canola achieved different prices. Canadian Canola being deemed the better of the two due to shelf life as the Americans do not consume creamed honey, for them it is a liquid product.

PH

 

[Finman]

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In Finland we get rape crop about 1500-1700 kg/ha.

It is same as in USA

Honey bees are not essential to rape because we have not enough hives to pollen rape fields.

WEe have a lot natural pollinators on the area where bees does not exist.

To me rape has been main yield about 35 years. Before that it was rare. When we started to cultivate spring rape, yields of honey rised on main beekeeping area and price of honey went down for years.

 

[oliver90owner]

It looks like (from the web) there was not so much grown in the UK in the 60s (or even very little) so looks like I got the wrong decade. Seems it was the Common Market CAP that encouraged the crop with subsidies.

Regards, RAB

 

[crazy_bull]

Commercially not really very big until mid 70's I believe

 

[MuswellMetro]

Commercially not really very big until mid 70's I believe

i remember in Bedfordshire trying to cut it with an old Massy combine harvester in 1968,.........the Massey threw all the OSR seed into the stone trap..They had to get a farmer with german Klaas to cut it

 

[Finman]

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Several facts tell that rape production is quite new phenomenom.

In another hand consumption habits is one reason to rise of rape seeds.
"The 1996 census data show that canola accounts for 75% of all vegetable oils produced in Canada, 87% of salad oils, 49% of margarine oils, and 64% of shortening.http://images.google.com/imgres? http://www.hort.purdue.edu/NEWCROP/PROCEEDINGS1999/V4-015A.HTML

In Finland we had so called "butter mountain" and it was state policy not to use vegetable oils.
When it was convinced that butter eating is not good for heart and blood vessels, the state started to give penalty if cow had too high milk fat content.


Canada

Australia

 

[Finman]

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Vegetable oil per hectare a year

 

[Poly Hive]

OSR began in Scotland about the late 70's early 80's and was thought of as utterly evil.

Given that beekeepers were in the habit of supering on and on until clearing down for the heather you can understand the anguish when they discovered that ALL their supers were solid concrete...

PH