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bioweb.sungrant.org » Technical » Biomass Resources » Agricultural Resources » New Crops » Oilseeds » Camelina

Camelina	Printer Friendly

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz (also called false flax, linseed dodder, or gold-of-pleasure) is a member of the Brassicaceae and is native to the region extending from the Mediterranean to Central Asia. Camelina seeds contain 29 to 39% oil and consist of about 12% saturated fatty acids, 54% polyunsaturated fatty acids (mostly linoleic and linolenic acids), and 34% monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic and eicosenoic acids). It contains 2 to 4% erucic acid. The meal contains 45 to 47% crude protein and 10 to 11% fiber. It is similar to soybean and flax seed meal (with slightly higher sulfur content than flax) and contains low glucosinolate levels making it attractive as a livestock feed.    Interest in Camelina is being driven primarily for food uses due to the high linolenic acid (35 to 40% of the oil) content. Linolenic acid is an OMEGA-3 fatty acid similar to those found in flax and fish oils. High levels of linolenic acid decrease the desirability of Camelina for biodiesel use, but confer a fast drying time for the oil which makes it suitable for painting and coating applications.   Potential production of Camelina is being evaluated in areas where flax is currently produced (e.g., the northern U.S. such as Minnesota and North and South Dakota). It may also be possible to grow Camelina as a winter crop in areas with mild winters, and due to its short growing season (85 to 100 days) possibly incorporated into double cropping systems. Field trial yields in Minnesota have ranged from 600 to 1,700 kg of seed/ha (535 to 1515 lb seed/ac) and have averaged 1,100 to 1,200 kg seed/ha (980 to 1070 lb seed/ac).    Using broadcast planting, Camelina has been successfully established on frozen ground (late November to early December) without the need for site preparation (tillage) or herbicide applications. Broadcast planting is most successful in areas with higher soil moisture and not recommended for dryer areas. No-till planting is also a viable option. In limited studies, winter-sown Camelina produced higher yields when seeded with a fall cover crop than without a cover crop. Use of a cover crop significantly reduces erosion potential. Nitrogen needs appear to be similar to mustard or flax. Camelina is somewhat more drought tolerant than flax. Seedlings are cold tolerant and can survive spring freezes especially when planted at high density (6 to 14 kg/ha; 5.5 to 12.5 lb/ac). The early emergence of seedlings also improves the ability of Camelina to compete with many annual weeds, potentially reducing the need for herbicides.

References
Great Northern Growers Montana Producer Cooperative, 2005, Camelina in Montana. Putnam, D.H., J.T. Budin, L.A. Field, and W.M. Breens (1993), Camelina: A promising low-input oilseed, in New Crops, J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.), Wiley, New York, pp 314-322. Vollmann, Johann, Astrid Damboeck, Anna Eckl, Heinrich Schrems, and Peter Ruckenbauer, 1996, Improvement of Camelina sativa, an underexploited oilseed, in Progress in New Crops, J. Janick (ed.), ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA, pp. 357-362.