A question about U.K. farm land

[FPoole]

I watch some shows here that have nice shots of U.K. farm land. I see large areas covered with yellow flowers that are obviously planted as a crop. What are they? Just something I've always wanted to know.

[Blackbaronfish]

Rape
Rape seed which is a nightmare for all pollen sufferers
It has quite a strongish smell and looks amazing in the sunshine

BBF

[Outandabout]

Also grown in the USA, known as oilseed rape over there.
Kevin

[Blackbaronfish]

The only other yellow flower crop is the sunflower.

BBF

[eboswan]

Don't forget the custard lakes,you know,where custard comes from

[Blackbaronfish]

Don't forget the custard lakes,you know,where custard comes from

"Stupid boy"

BBF

[FPoole]

Thanks, now I know what rape seed looks like in bloom. Looks beautiful, but I wouldn't care for the pollen levels either.

[james79]

I don’t get on here much but as a farmer this whole OSR, pollen, hay fever thing really gets my goat. Every year you get all the local dimwits pointing out that rapeseed is the worst thing for hay fever sufferers proven by the fact the nearest field of it is over three miles away and it still bothers them When I was at uni we were taught that rape pollen was pretty inert and having walked through flowering crops with other sufferers my experience tends to support this. The obvious clue that this crop isn’t the offender is also the reason it tends to get the blame... it’s vibrant colour that makes it such an obvious contender for its title. The clue is that the yellow flowers are there to attract insect pollinators, this is because it requires insects to move the pollen from one plant to another as opposed to grasses etc which are wind pollinators. From the plants point of view it would make no sense to lose pollen to the wind as it’s flowers are purpose built to be fertilised by insects and as such it has no mechanism to capture wind borne pollen. It’s probably not entirely coincidental that the birch tree shares its flowering time with rape and happens to be a wind pollinator that is proven to be a key allergy trigger
Any way major rant over (apologies for that but I feel better for getting it off my chest) and nice to be here again, it’s been a while

[eboswan]

Good too know,we learn something everyday

[Blackbaronfish]

Well that’s educated me.
As I’m not affected by pollen I never New the finer points
Many thanks James and welcome back

BBF