(i) General background on the plant
This variety is unknown in the wild. It is cultivated in Ethiopia as a vegetable and as an oil crop. Brassica carinata is a natural amphidiploid of female B. nigra and male B. oleracea.
B.nigra is Black Mustard, the original basis of condiment mustard all over Europe, it is grown in southern and central Europe and was originally domesticated in Asia Minor or Iran, and has been cultivated since ancient times.
B.oleracea is wild kale, a polymorphic species including a range of familiar vegetables - kale, winter greens, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli and others. It is indigenous to the Atlantic coast of Europe and is closely related to the wild kales of the Mediterranean.
B. carinata is a polyploid resulting from the combination of sets of chromosomes from both parents. It behaves like a diploid.
(ii) Details of quality characteristics
A collection of lines with characteristics suitable for modern agriculture is available including different oil types, such as low erucic (0%) and very high erucic (+ 50%) content. Preliminary evaluation made in Spain has also indicated a very good potential for biomass production.
(iii) Current production and yields
The seed yield potential of different ecotypes in Mediterranean countries under rain-fed conditions has shown to be superior to that of B. napus.
(iv) Constraints upon production
Production likely to be limited to southern Mediterranean regions.
(v) Markets and market potential
Ethiopian mustard is believed to be a natural hybrid, which has only recently been investigated as a potential crop plant in Europe. An EU-funded project has just commenced, to examine development of this species as a producer of biomass and biofuels, principally as a new crop for Southern EU countries but with potential also for use in Northern Europe.
(vi) Other information
See the following pages in the NF-2000 Database
FAIR-CT96-1946: July 1998 Project Progress Report
Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata)
FAIR-3029 - Effects of food-borne glucosinolates in human health
(vii) Contacts
FAIR-1946 Brassica carinata: A New Crop
for Biomass and Industrial Non-Food Oil Production.
Coordinator: Dr. Luis Carlos Alonso / Koipesol Semillas S.A.
Spain.
Participants:
DR. JE Carrasco / Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas,
Instituto de Energias Renovables / Spain.
DR. BT Hatton / CRODA Universal LTD. research and Development
Lab. /United kingdom.
Prof Constantine Dalianis / Centre for Renewable Energy Sources
CRES Biomass Dept / Greece.
Dr A Brunori / ENEA - Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, L Dpt
Innovazione / Italy.
Alberto Lafarga Arnal / I.T.G. Agricola Edificio El Sario /
Spain.
DR. E Sobrino Vesperinas / Universidad Politecnica de Madrid Dpt.
de Produccion Vegetal, Botanica Y / Spain.
(viii) References
Smith, N.O., Maclean, I., Miller, F.A. and Carruthers, S.P. (1997). Crops for Energy and Industry. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
De Rougement, G.M. (1989). Crops of Britain and Europe. Collins.