Report of the \u3ci\u3eBrassica \u3c/i\u3eCrops Working Group

The Brassicaceae family comprises about 3000 species, the majority of which are found in the Northern Hemisphere. Many common agricultural weeds, such as Brassica nigra (L.) Koch, Brassica rapa L., Cardaria draba (L.) Desv., Raphanus raphanistrum L., and Sinapis arvensis L., belong to this family. The most important crop species from this family are the oilseed Brassicas; Brassica napus L., B rapa L., and B juncea Coss., which are generally referred to as rapeseed, oilseed rape, or canola. Other widely cultivated species in this family are: B. oleracea L. (cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli), B. chinensis L. (syn. B. napus var. chinensis; Chinese cabbage), Raphanus sativus L. (radish), and Armoracia rusticana Gaertn. (horseradish). We agreed to limit our discussion to the rapeseed species because they are the focus of most of the gene transfer technology. Worldwide, rapeseed is grown on more than 20 million hectares; it is the third most important oil plant after palm oil and soybean. Major producers are China, India, Canada, the European Community, and Australia