油菜为十字花科一年生作物,是由芸苔与菜甘兰杂交而得的最古老的农作物之一。它在公元前4000年已为人所知。在十七世纪初由西欧传到苏联。长期以来,油菜作为油料作物而进行栽培,但从六十年代开始,作为饲料作物,其作用越来越大,在早春(4月)和晚秋(10～11月)用以获得高蛋白饲料,当作绿肥,作为极好的蜜源作物。 Rape is a cruciferous annual crop and is one of the oldest crops derived from the cross between Brassica oleracea and cabbage. It is known in 4000 BC. From Western Europe to the Soviet Union in the early seventeenth century. Rapeseed has long been cultivated as an oilseed crop, but since the 1960s, as a forage crop, it has become more and more effective. It is used to obtain high-protein feed in early spring (April) and late autumn (October-November) As green manure, as an excellent nectar source crop.