Importance
- Oilseed cake have high protein content and therefore used as livestock ration and also as manure.
- Young seedlings and leaves also used as green vegetables
- Green stem and leaves also as green fodder and green manure
- Shoots rich in sulfur and minerals
Uses of oil
- Cooking and flavoring medium
- In manufacture of hair oil, medicine, soaps etc
- In tanning industry to soften leather
- High content of erucic acid favors use in lubricating oils, hydraulic fuels etc
- In ayurvedic medicated oils for massage in paralytic diseases
Origin and Distribution
- Brassica campestris originated in eastern Afghanistan and adjoining parts of Pakistan and India
- Brassica juncea originated in China
- Widely grown in Canada, Europe, Russia, China, Japan, India, Nepal and Australia.