Looking After Crops

Lots of different crops are grown on the farm but the four main groups grown on British farms are:

Click on each of the four groups above to discover details of the crops and the way we farm them.

Oilseeds

The next group of plants grown on farms are oilseeds.

Rape. Oilseed Rape or Canola, is a bright yellow flowering member of the brassica (cabbage) family that is grown extensively around the United Kingdom. The seed is planted in late August or early September and is ready for harvest in the following July. The bright yellow flowers can be seen in early spring. The crop is harvested using a combine harvester and the black seeds are taken to a crushing plant to be made into cooking oil. The seed pods that are left over are used as animal feed and are known as oilseed rape meal. They provide protein in animal rations.

Soya Bean is a species of legume native to East Asia. It is not widely grown in the UK because of the climate. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years as a food and a component of drugs. Soy contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids for humans so is a good source of protein. Soybeans are the primary ingredient in many processed foods, including dairy product substitutes. The left over hulls are used as animal feed and known as soya bean meal. They provide a rich source of protein in animal diets.

Linseed is grown in the UK but was originally cultivated in ancient Egypt. It is an erect annual plant growing to 1.2 m tall, with slender stems. The leaves are green and slender while the flowers are pure pale blue. The fruit is a round dry capsule containing several glossy brown seeds shaped like an apple pip. As well as producing a seed the plant can be used for making into building materials. The plant stem is commonly known as flax when this is the case.