Glucosinolate levels in western Canadian rapeseed and canola

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Abstract
Since the introduction of low glucosinolate rapeseed into Canadian production in 1975, the average level of glucosinolates has declined from about 80 µmol/g to 25 µmol/g in the 1985 Canadian new crop. Since 1983, more than 90% of the rapeseed planted in Western Canada has been of canola quality (less than 30 µmol/g glucosinolates). The Northern Alberta/British Columbia growing area is the only area in Western Canada which produced noncanola quality seed in 1984. Export shipments of rapeseed from Western Canada have not contained more than 30 µmol/g glucosinolates since December 1983, and at the end of the 1984/85 shipping year most shipments contained about 20 µmol/g glucosinolates. Western Canadian crushing plants have preferentially selected and crushed canola quality seed since 1979. This preferential selection may have slowed the reduction of glucosinolates in export seed. Crushers have produced canola quality meal from seed containing as much as 50 µmol/g glucosinolates, since between 40 and 60% of the glucosinolates present in the seed were removed during processing. Rapeseed has been introduced recently in Southern Ontario. Although the spring‐planted crop is canola quality, the winter crop, which makes up 20% of the production, is still high in glucosinolates.