Contents


Preface

Oilseeds are one of the most dynamic components of global agriculture, their annual growth rate of 4.1% having exceeded agricultural and livestock output growth over the last three decades. Oilseed crops belong to a variety of plant groups, and oil is their most valuable by-product, both as a food source and feedstock. Different oilseed crops have varying oil contents, ranging from 20% for soybean to 40% for sunflowers. Oilseed is also a raw material for a variety of oleochemical enterprises. The manufacture of soaps, detergents, greases, lubricants, and candles has traditionally been the primary non-food use for the by-products of oilseed crops. Soybean, sunflower, *Brassica*, canola, coconut, oil palm, rapeseed, peanuts, rice, olive and cotton are some of the most common and important oilseed crops in the world. While soybean and sunflower require high temperatures, cool climatic conditions are suitable for the cultivation of major oilseed crops like *Brassica* spp., with their considerable economic and nutritional value. The genus *Brassica* belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which has nearly 435 genera and 3675 species. Plants of the *Brassica* genus are well-known as edible oil, vegetables, and silage, and are the most important oil crops in some Asian countries. Cultivation of these crops has increased dramatically over the past few decades, reaching more than 300 million hectares in 2014. Due mainly to their use in industries and potential as biofuels, oilseed crops are playing an important role in the reduction of demand for fossil fuels. The growing global population is increasing the demand for edible oils, although only about 7.5 million tons are produced annually. In order to increase oilseed crop production and global competitiveness, researchers must seek out the best conventional and molecular approaches.

The six chapters in this book deal with the physiological and molecular mechanisms of oilseed crops and discuss various aspects of oilseed production and use. We believe that this book is will be useful for undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, and researchers,

We would like to thank all the authors for their outstanding and timely contributions. We are very grateful to Lucija Tomicic-Dromgool, Commissioning Editor, and to Jasna Bozic and Marina Dusevic, Author Service Managers, at IntechOpen for their prompt responses during the production of this book. We also thank Farzana Nowroz, Ayesha Siddika and

> **Mirza Hasanuzzaman** Department of Agronomy,

> > Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka, Bangladesh

**Kamrun Nahar**

Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University,

Department of Agricultural Botany, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University,

particularly from in the fields of Agronomy and Crop Science.

Md. Rakib Hossain Raihan for reviews and formatting.
