Cultivation

Winter and spring forms of winter cress

Brassica rapa L. subsp. campestris (L.) A. R. Clapham

The division of winter cress into winter and spring forms is determined by their life cycle: winter forms require overwintering to transition to flowering, whereas spring forms complete their full cycle in a single season.

In the reference 10 varieties crop Field mustard, where this is mentioned in the description.

Winter cress has high winter hardiness and is capable of withstanding air temperatures as low as -35 °C with snow cover. It has a longer vegetation period and matures 5–10 days earlier than winter oilseed rape, completing all necessary development phases during the overwintering process.

Spring winter cress is an annual plant that does not require exposure to low temperatures to initiate flowering. In agricultural practice, it is often found as a weed, but is also cultivated as an oilseed crop, differing from oilseed rape in its obligate cross-pollination and specific morphological characteristics of inflorescences and leaves.

General information about the subject — on the page Winter and spring forms.

Sources3

Varieties of Field mustard mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.