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The flowers attract honey bees to collect pollen and nectar.
Leaf uses
The plant has a mild flavor, and is eaten as a leaf vegetable. It is known as (Oromo: Raafuu); habesha gomen, (Amharic: ሐበሻ ጎመን).[5] Named varieties include Texsel, which is particularly adapted to temperate climates.[6] Cultivation of Ethiopia mustard as leaf vegetable is limited to small-scale production but it is slowly gaining popularity in rural as well as urban areas where commercial production is taking place.[7]
Seed uses
Although Brassica carinata is cultivated as an oilseed crop in Ethiopia,[8] it has high levels of undesirable glucosinolates and erucic acid.[9] The closely related Brassica napus (rapeseed) is considered a better oilseed crop in comparison.
Brassica carinata has been used to develop an aviation biofuel for jet engines.[10] On October 29, 2012, the first flight of a jet aircraft powered completely by biofuel, made from Brassica carinata, was completed.[11][12] The byproduct of Brassica carinata oil production is utilized in protein meal for animal fodder.[13]
Industrial application
The oil quality profile includes a high percentage of erucic acid (40–45 %) making it highly desirable as a biofuel and for industrial applications such as production of plastics, lubricants, paints, leather tanning, soaps, and cosmetics.[14]
References
^ ab"Brassica carinata A.Braun". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
^"Brassica carinata A.Braun". World Flora Online. The World Flora Online Consortium. n.d. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
^Alemaheyu, N. and Becker, H. (2002), "Genotypic diversity and patterns of variation in a germplasm material of Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata A. Braun)", Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 49(6):573-582
^Getinet, A., Rakow, G., Raney, J. P. and Downey, R. K.(1997) "Glucosinolate content in interspecific crosses of Brassica carinata with B. juncea and B. napus", Plant Breeding116 (1):39–46