[11] Later the crop was tested in other regions of the USSR, in Sweden and in Poland, where crambe was grown on 25,000 ha (~62,000 acres) after the second world war.

[11] Research efforts in northern and eastern Europe were increased and the agronomical characteristics and industrial uses of crambe were intensively studied.

Through introgression of wild populations and mass selection two new cultivars were created in the 1980s which were promoted as high yielding sources of erucic acid.

[11] Nevertheless, after a period of great efforts to bring crambe into extended cultivation, interest in the crop in Europe has declined in recent years.

Low soil depth and a high stone and gravel content decrease drought tolerance.

[5][17] Crambe abyssinica can be easily inserted in crop rotations with a requirement of 1600 growing degree-days.

[3] Therefore, erucic acid derived compounds are used as additives in the plastic industry, high temperature hydraulic fluids, waxes, base for paints and coatings, lubricants and many other products.

[20] Unfortunately, the crambe seed shred also contains toxic compounds such as glucosinolates, tannins and inositol phosphate.

The incorporation rate of crambe by-products into animal feed should not be higher than 5% for growing-finishing pigs, 15% for dairy cows,[21] and 19% for sheep.

[6] However, it shows low genetic variation in important agronomic traits, e.g. erucic acid content.

To overcome the limited genetic variation, gene technology has been used in recent years to improve different important agronomic traits of crambe.

[6] Additionally further research aims to assess the potential of using the seed cake in protein-based plastic production and to find further uses for the whole plant.