Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
CULTIVATION HISTORY
Rutabaga's origins are unknown, though some botanists have speculated that it
comes from a cross between
Brassica rapa
and
B. oleracea
. Rutabaga is grown mostly in northern
Europe, Russia, and around the Baltic Sea, though in recent years it has been grown more in the USA,
the Middle East, and Siberia. It has been difficult to learn of rutabaga's history because the same word
is often used for rutabaga and turnip in historical documents. Unambiguous documentation of the
rutabaga goes back only to the 17th century.
During World War I, long-storing rutabagas were sometimes the only source of nourishment for
starving people, which could have contributed to its sharp decrease in popularity since then.
Two characteristics make rutabagas easy to distinguish from turnips: the stem-like bulge in the transition area from root to
leaves and the blue-green leaves.
MUSTARD
Brassica juncea
This species offers a diverse array of plants: from the extremely hardy 'Green in the Snow', which, as
its name suggests, can be harvested throughout the winter, to varieties bred for their high oil content,
used to make condiment mustard. Plants of this species have long been grown in India as an oilseed
crop. Varieties cultivated in China have been selected for their flavorful leaves. There are four different
mustard subspecies, the first of which (mustard greens) is the most widely cultivated mustard crop in
Europe:
•
Brassica juncea
ssp.
integrifolia
(mustard greens)
•
Brassica juncea
ssp.
juncea
(grown for its seeds or as livestock feed)
•
Brassica juncea
ssp.
napiformis
(root mustard)
•
Brassica juncea
ssp.
tsatsai
(multishoot mustard, grown for its shoots and leaves)
