Oilseed (Brassica napus), also known as rape, rapeseed, oilseed rape belongs to the family Brassicaceae. The plant has a deep and long root, the stem is 1.5 m high approximately and the flowers are small, yellow and are grouped in terminal clusters. It is consumed in China and Southern Africa as a vegetable but is cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed, the third-largest source of vegetable oil in the world.

Rapeseed is grown for the production of animal feeds, edible vegetable oils, and there are also non-food uses, such as the industrial oils market, dominated by biodiesel, but also including lubricant and surfactant production. Biodiesel: this oil is the preferred oil stock for biodiesel production in most of Europe, accounting for about 80% of the feedstock. It can be sown in Spring and Autumn.