oilseed

As oil seed or seed plant seeds are referred to, which can be used for the production of vegetable oil. When using the production of food ( feed oil) plays ( cooking oil) and feed an important role, along with the production of biofuels as well as technical oils ( oleochemicals ). A small portion of the seeds is used as a whole or as an oil meal in the food or feed trade. In this context, often plants such as linseed, rapeseed, soy and sunflower can be found.

Demarcation

In addition to the oilseed producing plants there are oil plants such as olive and oil palm, in which the oil is extracted from the fruit. Among the oil crops in the agricultural sense, however, all harvested products are counted with economic impact for vegetable oil extraction, ie both oilseeds and ölliefernde fruits and other plant parts.

Types and importance

There are a number of oil crops, the seeds are suitable for oil production. The fat content it serves the seeds as reproductive organs of the plant as an energy store during germination. The world's most important oilseed crop is soybeans, whose share in total oilseed production is above 50% (2007: 57%). Around 12 % of the production is concentrated on rapeseed, which is the most important oilseed crop in cultivation in Central Europe. The main producing countries and regions for oil seeds are the USA, Brazil, China and Argentina. Other oil seeds with mainly regional importance are sunflower seeds ( above all in Argentina, EU, CIS), peanuts ( above all in China, India) and cotton ( above all in China, India, USA). The oil yield varies greatly depending on the species and growing conditions. The annual oil yield of rapeseed is approximately 1,600 l / ha, the yield of soybean oil at around 640 l / ha.

Many seeds also serve as sources of protein for animal nutrition, as co-products from the vegetable oil production ( press cake, bean meal ) are used as protein-rich animal feed.

Trade in oilseeds and vegetable fats and oils

Trading in oil fruits takes place around the world and has a significant importance in the world economy. In 2012, the EU imported 11.3 million tons of oil fruits, with a production of 26.6 million tons.

Most of the trade is done in form contracts of various bodies. In Germany, the unit conditions apply in the German cereals as a tacit part of any trade action. In Austria, the practices of the market for agricultural products in Vienna are preferably used, and in Switzerland, these contracts the practices of Swiss Corn Exchange are largely meaningless in overseas trade. There are oilseeds preferred the contracts of the Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations ( FOSFA ) and in rarer cases, the contracts of the Grain and Feed Trade Association ( GAFTA ) was used. In addition, still playing the practices of the major importing countries a role; that is, for example, the practices of VERNOF ( Vereniging van Nederlandse manufacturers van Eetbare Olien Vetten s ) play a special role in imports over the Dutch ports.

Properties

The fat content of the seed is, among other species-and variety-specific and is on average about 30-45 percent. In addition to the oil content as low as possible free fatty acid content of the oil obtained from the seeds is crucial for the quality. In general, the levels of free fatty acids in commercial crudes are less than 3%. Significant differences between the seeds exist in the chain length and the binding ratios ( number of double bonds, degree of saturation ) of the contained oils ( triglycerides ) bound fatty acids, also in the presence of functional groups. These determine the properties of the vegetable oils (consistency, melting point, storability, drying behavior, nutritional value ), and thus the possible uses of the seeds. When storing and processing the seeds contain only about 9 % water, compared to cereal with about 14 % lower value.

Processing

Oilseeds are processed into oil mills. Their central facility is the oil press in which the seeds are pressed to separate the liquid phase ( vegetable oil) from the solid phase ( pomace, press cake ). Before pressing the seeds are cleaned and, depending on the process, possibly peeled, conditioned or crushed. In decentralized oil mills emerging from the press trub oil is only filtered at industrial operating systems is followed by extraction in order to increase the oil yield.