Rapeseed twig, which is used to make canola oil.
Oilseeds are plants grown primarily for the oil they produce. The main ones include well-known plants like soybeans and canola, as well as several other plants with other uses, such as avocados, grapes, and almonds. In addition to the designated crops, non-petroleum oil also comes from animals and from corn and cotton, all of which have uses other than the production of oils. Although the most well-known application of oilseeds is the production of edible oils, they can also produce non-edible oils and even biofuels.
A large rapeseed field.
The main oilseeds are commonly used to produce edible oils. They include soybeans, peanuts, sunflowers, and canola, which is a genetically modified form of rapeseed, originally developed in Canada. Flaxseed oil, also known as linseed oil, was originally produced for industrial applications such as paint manufacturing, but gained prominence in the United States as a nutritional supplement consumed in European countries.
Canola oil.
In addition to the well-known plantations, several other plants are cultivated for use in oil production. Edible oilseed plants include various nuts, pumpkins, and fruits. Inedible oils can also come from almonds, papayas, and even tung beans, which create an oil that is used to seal the wood. Essential oils come from crops including wormwood, patchouli, and chamomile.
A safflower plant, used to make safflower oil.
Some crops have uses other than oil production. Although cottonseed oil is a useful product, most people think that cotton is grown for its fiber. Corn has a wide variety of uses other than providing its oil. On the other hand, while soybeans provide useful protein for humans and animals, most of it is used as oil, making it primarily an oilseed crop.
At the beginning of the 21st century, oilseeds begin to serve an entirely new market: cars and trucks. Many vegetable oils can be easily converted into biodiesel fuel that can power most diesel engines with relatively minor modifications. In addition to traditional crops such as safflower, soybeans and canola, biodiesel can also be made from used cooking oils or alternative crops such as Carmelina saliva, also known as “false flax” or “gold of the pleasure”.