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Rapeseed is an annual oilseed crop. Rapeseed fruits produce small black seedscontaining up to 40-45% oil.
Rapeseed is used to restructure soils and acts as a nitrate boost thanks to its deeproots. Rapeseed cultivation is interesting to alternate with wheat because rapeseedbreaks the cycle of certain diseases specifi c to cereals.

Products and Uses

The oil, extracted by pressing, can be used in various ways:

  • For food consumption
  • As fuel for the production of electricity (and heat in CHP plants) in adaptedengines. Oil used in this case will be called pure vegetable oil (PVO)
  • As fuel for suitable tractors (in its PVO form) or as raw material for biodieselproduction
  • As bio-based products including biolubricants, which can be used as achainsaw lubricant for example, or biosurfactants or biosolvents in some cases

Oil cakes, which are the solid residues obtained after oil extraction, are rich inproteins and omega 3 and can be used for feeding animals. They can also be used incombustion to produce heat.