Oilseed rape, Brassica napus, is one of the most important crops in the world. Hardly any other plant species is as versatile and popular as the bright yellow rape. More than 1,500 bottles of rapeseed oil can be produced from just one hectare of field. The annual feed for three dairy cows can also be obtained from this amount of rape. When the flowering phase begins and what influence the rapeseed plant has on subsequent plants is explained here.
heyday of oilseed rape
Before rapeseed is harvested for the first time, it has already spent a year in the field. It is sown in late summer, after the first winter, next May, the plant will finally bloom.
- Sow in late summer
- Beginning of flowering is April to May of the coming year
- Flowers bright yellow
- Harvest time at the end of July
The time of flowering has nothing to do with the time of harvest. When flowering begins in May, the small pods fill with black seeds. Only when the bloom is over and Brassica napus is no longer bright yellow in the fields is it time to salvage the real treasure.
Rape, Brassica napus
blossom
This is what rapeseed flowers look like
- it is an annual or biennial plant
- Flower clusters are strikingly bright yellow in color
- heavy soils with numerous nutrients are helpful
- Total growth height is up to 120 cm
- Stems branch and are mostly bare
- Leaves are blue-green, pinnately lobed but glabrous
- Flower diameter is more than 1 cm
- Sepals have a length of 6 - 8 mm
- Petals have a length of 12 - 18 mm
- Length of the fruit stalks is 2-3 cm
- Pods are bivalve and contain up to 20 seeds and are 10 cm long
- Flowering time is between 3 and 5 weeks, half of all flowers develop pods
origin
Where does rape actually come from?
The rapeseed plant is actually a cross between wild cabbage and turnip rape, wild rapeseed plants are very rare. A plant belonging to the cruciferous family, it is a very important crop. Cultivation in Germany is mostly about winter oilseed rape, whose sowing begins in August. A soil rosette capable of surviving the winter is developed. The lush flowering period begins at the beginning of April and ends at the end of the merry month of May.
Worth knowing short facts about the rapeseed plant
- one hectare of rapeseed is enough for 1,740 bottles of rapeseed oil
- Canola oil is considered a superfood
- Production of 200 jars of honey possible with the same quantity
- Rapeseed honey brings quick energy
- The flowering phase begins in April to May
- Reblooming is possible until the end of August
- Peak flowering time causes problems with allergies
rapeseed oil
Why is rapeseed oil so special
Most people immediately think of rapeseed oil, which is considered healthy, when they think of rapeseed plants. The light yellow oil is actually a very mild oil and is one of the all-rounders in the kitchen.
The special feature is that rapeseed oil is a very good fatty acid composition having. There are only a few saturated fatty acids, but many unsaturated fatty acids.
notice: A rapeseed contains 42% most valuable oil.
Rapeseed pods with seeds