IMPORTANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF RAPE (BRASSICA NAPUS L.) AS A VEGETABLE IN ZAMBIA

Rape (Brassica napus L.) has become an important item in the diets of urban Zambians, the per capita consumption has been estimated at 15 kg per person annually.
It is grown in urban gardens for domestic consumption.
Marketed produce is grown by medium-scale growers in peri-urban areas.
Introduced cultivars grown from European seed were not chosen on proven performance under Zambian conditions and were found to be susceptible to black rot (Xanthomonas campestris), were lower yielding and did not set seed.
Research started in 1978 to find high yielding, disease resistant cultivars that could set seed in Zambia.
Five cultivars have shown promise and are able to yield well and set seed.
Yields of up to 53 t ha^-1 in the winter season (May-July) have been recorded.
Nutritional trials indicate that optimum returns have been obtained with a basal dressing of N, P, K, B plus a top dressing of N.

IX African Symposium on Horticultural Crops

I.C. Nkhungulu, W. Msikita

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1985.153.22