A field of oilseed rape on the western edge of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, UK.
Oilseed rape is typically grown as a 'break crop', which allows fungal diseases and pests that would normally feed on the cereal crop to die out, thus improving the yield of the next year's cereal crop.
Oilseed rape will not normally be grown in the same field more than once every three years. It is lower yielding than most cereal crops, however does command a better price.
The UK is generally self sufficient in growing enough rape to cope with domestic demand, as of 2008 there was 598 hectares of land being used for rape, with 1,973,000 tonnes being produced.
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