Rapeseed, the third most important oilseed in the world

Rapeseed is the third most important oilseed worldwide, and is an alternative winter crop to wheat and barley. It provides raw material for both edible oil and biofuels, especially for aeronautical use, generating a growing demand for this production in international markets. Since 2007, a research team from INTA Paraná has been working on the genetic improvement of this crop in Argentina, where four varieties with competitive genotypes in yield and grain quality, adapted to different production systems, were registered. Rapeseed - due to its winter-spring cycle - complements the supply of the industry, constituting an opportunity to increase the cultivated area and respond to growing market demands, said Lucrecia Gieco, head of the rapeseed genetic improvement program at INTA. Gieco added that “In direct sowing systems they are very well suited for rotation for second crops such as soybeans or corn, conferring an improvement in the yields achieved, related to this in relation to ...