History, Uses, and Benefits of Winter Canola © 2009 OSU Canola in the Classroom

What’s All That Yellow Stuff ?  Member of a large family of plants called crucifers.  Four yellow flower petals form the shape of a cross.  Term “canola” registered in Canada in  Can as in Canada and ola as in oil (CANadian Oil Low Acid).  Canola is NOT rapeseed.

What’s All That Yellow Stuff ?  Genetic variation of rapeseed.  Two distinct variations: 1. Glucosinolate levels in canola are lower 2. Euric acid levels in canola are lower  Healthy cooking oil  High quality protein supplement for livestock

Consumption and Imports  Grown in Pacific Northwest and north central U.S.  North Dakota produces 90% of domestic supply.  Australia, Argentina, European countries grow small amounts.  Canada produces the majority of world supply.  Japan imports 40% of Canada’s canola seed.  United States imports the largest amounts of canola oil and meal.

History  Grown in Europe as early as 13 th Century.  Cultivated in Asia for thousands of years.  Used in Asia for cooking and Europe as lamp oil.  During World War II used as marine lubricant.  conferred “generally recognized as safe”  American Heart Association urged less saturated fat intake. Canola oil consumption increases. 

Southern Great Plains  Monoculture of winter wheat with almost no crop rotation for the last 50 years.  Has led to increase in winter annual grassy weeds.  Wheat yields continue to remain flat.  Past 5 harvests yields 31.6 bushels/acre.  5 year average 20 years ago 31.4 bushels/acre.  Over same time Europe has increased to 79 bushels/acre.

Benefits of Rotational Cropping with Winter Canola  Breaks the continuous wheat pest cycle.  Produces a profitable alternative oilseed crop.  Enhances wheat production.  Cleans up difficult-to-control weeds and grasses in current wheat production areas.  Reduces U.S. dependence on foreign oil.  Uses existing small grain equipment.

Uses of Winter Canola  One of the most efficient oil producing crops.  40% of the seed weight is oil.  One bushel of canola weighs 22.68kg or 50lbs.  Each bushel makes 2.2 gallons of edible oil.  Makes up 7% of vegetable oil use in U.S.  Ijc Ijc

Canola Food Products  Shortening  Margarine  Salad oil  Cooking spray  Mayonnaise  Sandwich spread  Creamer  Cookies, crackers, snack foods  Cake mixes  Bread

Canola Non Food Products  Dust depressants  De-icer for airplanes  Printing ink  Suntan Lotion  Antistatic for paper and plastic wrap  Biodegradable greases  Bioplastics  Cosmetics  Biodiesel

Canola Meal  Made of canola seeds after the oil is removed.  Contains minimum 34% protein, behind only soybean meal (47%) and cotton seed meal (41%).  Products from canola meal: 1. Livestock Feed 2. Poultry Feed 3. Pet Food 4. Fish Food 5. Fertilizer