CONTAMINATION OF EDIBLE DOUBLE-LOW OILSEED RAPE CROPS VIA POLLEN TRANSFER FROM HIGH ERUCIC CULTIVARS

Contamination of double-low oilseed crops with pollen from high erucic varieties grown primarily on set-aside land may result in erucic acid concentrations above 2% resulting in its rejection as a double-low ed ible oilseed. An analysis of cross contamination between high and low erucic acid crops was carried out in field trials at Cockle Park, and Purley Farm, Essex in the 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 seasons. Contaminati on was generally low and at random across the test areas. This random fluctuations in erucic acid concentrations appeared to be due to insec t activity rather than wind mediated pollen transfer. Roto-rod traps u sed at Cockle Park to measure pollen flow downwind from isolated block s of oilseed rape showed that in both seasons a rapid exponential decl ine in pollen concentration occurred with distance from the source. Re sults presented in this study would suggest that contamination between edible and high erucic crops does not present a major problem under f ield scale cultivation. (C) 1998 SCI.