Description
Brassica rapa subsp. oleifera | Field Mustard
Brassica rapa is a plant species composed of numerous, diverse, commonly grown subspecies, including:
Brassica rapa subsp. oleifera= Field Mustard
Brassica rapa subsp. rapa= Turnip
Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis= Bok Choy
Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis= Napa Cabbage
This listing is for Brassica rapa susp. oleifera- Field Mustard, which is also known as Wild Mustard, Black Mustard, Wild Turnip, Turnip Mustard, Forage Turnip, Wild Rutabaga, Wild Kale, Bird Rape, or Rape Mustard. It’s an upright winter annual or biennial and is considered one of the ‘quintessential mustards’ as it is used for the production of Canola/Rapeseed oil. Brassica rapa subsp. oleifera is widely used in genetics research and was one of the first plants to ever have its genome sequenced.
Plants start as basal rosettes of large leaves until flowering stems with clasping leaves develop (usually in the second year) followed by right yellow flowers in rounded clusters that bloom anytime between February to September, depending on when they were planted. There are many mustard species with small yellow flowers and can be hard to distinguish. Field Mustard is most easily identified by the lower leaves and smaller, upper clasping leaves and stem, which resemble Wild Opium Lettuce. Plants grow to a mature flowering size of 2-4 ft tall.
Being a somewhat weedy species of disturbed sites around human activities, Field Mustard plants are extremely adaptable and grow in sandy to heavy clay soils, tolerating a wide pH range from 4.8 to 8.5. However, plants grows best in well-drained, moist soil.
Brassica rapa subsp. oleifera is very commonly used as a winter annual or rotational cover crop in vegetable and specialty crops, as well as row crop production. It has potential to prevent erosion, suppress weeds, alleviate soil compaction, can scavenge nutrients from the soil, and has a high biomass production.
Canola/rapeseed oil is made from either B. rapa or B. napus, and is the world’s second-largest oil-seed crop. The name canola is short for CANadian Oil, Low Acid; rapeseed oil must contain less than 2% erucic acid to qualify as ‘Canola’.
Seeds germinate easily with heat, humidity, and light. Temperatures above 80 F reduce germination percentage
Type: Annual or biennial
Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade
Mature height: 3 ft
Mature width: 18 inches
Mature zones: 3-9