Brassica rapa, Rapifera Group is a member of the Brassicaceae (mustard) family.

Varieties include Purple Top White Globe, Royal Crown, White Egg, White Lady, Just Right, Tokyo Cross, Milano, and Ohno Scarlet. Seven Top and Topper are grown just for the greens.

Turnips are hardy cool-season plants but are not as frost resistant as rutabagas. They are biennial, herbaceous dicotyledons that are grown as an annual for the fleshy roots which are typically globe shaped. The flesh color may be white or yellow but the skin color can range from white, yellow, red, purple, or black.

Marketing. Baby turnips are a specialty crop. There are red and Japanese turnips as well. They should be at least an inch in diameter.

Current production and yield. Approximate yield of 5 to 7 tons/acre or 85 pounds/ 100 feet of row.

Use. Both the root and the greens are eaten. They are very popular in the South. The baby form (picked before maturity) is a trendy vegetable. They are peeled then blanched before sauteing, braising or steaming.

Propagation and care. The seeds are broadcast or drilled into rows that are 10 to 20 inches apart and 1/2 inch deep. To seed to a stand, instead of thinning, plant seeds 2 to 4 inches apart in the row, depending on the size of roots desired. It can also be planted 4 rows (approximately 4 inches between rows) on a 40 inch bed, spaced 2-3 inches between plants down the row. It is a cool season crop and can be grown in the same regions, and by the same methods, used for cole crops. A deep soil with a pH of 5.5-7.0 is recommended. Turnip seeds sprout easily in hot weather so they can be started in late summer. The most common pests are aphids. Cabbage maggot is very attracted by turnips, in fact, turnips have been used as a "trap crop" for cabbage maggots for other cruciferous crops. Also flea beetles can cause cosmetic damage by eating small holes in the leaves.

Harvest and postharvest practices. USDA storage recommendations for turnips are 32°F (0°C) at 95 percent relative humidity, with an approximate storage life of 4 to 5 months. Turnip greens should be stored at 32° F and 95 to 100 percent relative humidity. Their storage life is 10 to 14 days.

Compiled by Claudia Myers, UC Small Farm Center.

Reviewed by Richard Smith, 11/27/89.

Reviewed by John Guerard, Farm Advisor, Kern County, 12/22/89.

Captions:

Figure 1. Turnip roots can have skin colors ranging from white to red to black. (Photo by Charlotte Glenn).

5/1/90.