A study of the transport and deposition of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) pollen in east Fife, Scotland

It has been suggested that there is a link between the relatively recent expansion in the farming of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and an increase in the incidence of respiratory illness in eastern Scotland. However, there is limited evidence of the extent to which one possible cause of this increased illness, the pollen of oilseed rape, is disseminated from fields of this crop. The present study used sedimentation traps and a portable volumetric air sampler to study the transport of pollen from rape fields in Fife, and the results confirmed the widely held view that most of the pollen travels only a short distance from its source. In this case relatively low quantities ofBrassica pollen were detected more than 200 m from fields of rape. This may have implications for the formulation of advice for those who appear to suffer from an allergic reaction to rape crops.