Rapeseed: what is this plant, cultivation, use

Rapeseed is a plant from which oil is obtained. It belongs to the cruciferous family. It is a hybrid of the colza plant and cabbage. It has blue-green leaves. The inflorescence has 20 to 40 bright yellow flowers with a strong fragrance. The flowering period lasts up to 30 days. Then fruits are formed in the form of pods 7-12 cm long. Each plant produces 30 to 300 fruits with 20-40 seeds. Rapeseed is used in cooking, medicine, cosmetology.

How Rapeseed is grown

Two methods are used to grow this plant:

• Winter Rapeseed is sown in the fields in late August. By the onset of frost, the plant forms rosettes up to 25 cm high, with up to 8 leaves on them. When spring temperatures are above freezing, Rapeseed grows quickly and gains green mass. Before planting other crops in the spring, rapeseed is mowed and given to livestock for fodder.
• Spring Rapeseed is planted in early spring and harvested in the fall. These crops have higher yields.

Rapeseed is planted in open fields because it needs plenty of sunlight. Although it likes moisture, it does not grow well in areas where groundwater is close to the soil, swampy areas and low-lying areas. For growing Rapeseed, slightly acidic black earth soils are suitable. It is best planted after cereals, legumes, potato crops, clover or lupine. It is desirable not to grow Rapeseed in a place where cruciferous and cabbage crops have grown.

Before planting Rapeseed, the soil should be cleared of weeds, re-cultivated and loosened. 2 weeks before planting, the seeds are treated with fungicides and insecticides that protect against pests and diseases. At the end of April, they are planted in rows at a width of 25-30 cm and buried at 2-3 cm.

It is important to do this early in the spring to make it easier to fight the main enemy of Rapeseed - the cruciferous flea. If the plant is planted later, it can destroy up to 25% of the seedlings. Rapeseed is not afraid of frosts as low as -3. However, when the flowers are forming, the weather should already be warm.

Stages of feeding Rapeseed:

• Rapeseed is weeded during the period of sprouting and rosette formation. Weeds can depress the growth of this plant.
• The inter-row space should be loosened.
• Fertilize the soil with phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen fertilizer before planting. Also add nitrogen fertilizer during the period of bud formation. However, this is done in small doses, so as not to provoke excessive leaf growth and not to delay the ripening of fruits.
• When the seeds are formed, sulfur fertilizer is applied to the soil. It is also important to test the soil for manganese, zinc and boron.

Uses of Rapeseed

Rapeseed is used for purposes such as:

• Production of oil from the seed for use in various industries: printing, paint, metallurgy, textile and food processing.
• Rapeseed oil is used to make vegetable oil, it is also used in margarine, cooking fat, and ice cream.
• The meal from the seeds after oil production is added to the composition of feed for farm animals.
• Rapeseed increases the yield of grain crops.

Rapeseed greens have a lot of protein, so this plant is used in animal feed. The oil is high in vitamin E. This makes it a highly nutritious product for humans.