The oil seed form of turnip is mentioned in Sanskrit records in India as early as 2000-1500BC. It has been under cultivation in Europe for the last 5000 years or so.
The Greek Theophrast (371-285 BC) calls it "gongylis" and the Roman Columella (35 - 65 A.D.) distinguishes the cultivation and conservation by lactic acid of "napus" und "rapa," saying that napus only forms a tender root, whereas rapa has a "thick stomach."
Pliny, an ancient Roman author, used the names rapa and napus to describe turnips that were long, flat, or round. English of the Middle Ages turned napus into naep in Anglo-Saxon.
The European type of turnip was grown in France as early as the first century AD. Roman Conquest brought it to England from France. However, it was not until early 18th century that turnip was cultivated as a field crop in England.
In the Middle Ages the turnip was a staple food plant. In the "Capitulare de Villis" emperor Charles the Great (around 800 A.D.) gives instructions as to which crops had to be planted and had to be given to his court; among those there are "napi."
Turnip was introduced into Canada by Jacques Cartier in 1541 and into the US in 1609. The Indians adopted its culture from the colonists. Turnips were introduced into North America by early European settlers and colonists. They grew well in the South and became a popular food of this region.
In the late 1970s, researchers began to demonstrate the potential of turnip as pasture. The development of varieties with partially exposed roots rendered the roots more available to grazing animals.
History of turnip
