100 years of systematic rape breeding in Germany. New perspectives for a 1000-year-old plant.

摘要

Rape [Brassica napus], derived about 1000 years ago from turnips [B. campestris] and cabbages plants [B. oleracea], is the most important present day oil plant in Germany/central Europe. It is estimated that in 1996 winter rape covered 778 882 ha (932 015 in 1995) and summer rape 75 890 ha (41 870 in 1995) in Germany. Thus, the cultivated area of rape has overtaken that of rye. The main german cultivation areas are in the new Bundeslander, Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein. The state of rape breedingfor food and non-food production and applications of biotechnology in breeding are described.