From Rapeseed to Canola: A Brief History of Research for Superior Meal and Edible Oil

INTRODUCTION The invitation to describe and review the remarkable quality improvement achievements in the Canadian rapeseed story presented an interesting and somewhat formidable task. Limitations of time and space made it necessary to be rather selective in dealing with the many aspects of the story, and having played a small role in the development of the modern varieties and products, it was difficult to minimize bias towards those areas most familiar to the author. Recognizing these limitations, I propose to comment briefly on the origins and early uses of rapeseed, how Canada became involved, how the industry has grown, how the need for research was recognized, how manpower and resources were mobilized to mount effective research programs in the various areas and disciplines, how industrial and consumer users have responded, and a few comments on some remaining challenges. Because the development of “canola” rapeseed is a success story unique in . . .