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

Crambe	Printer Friendly

Crambe (Crambe abyssinicia Hochst), also called Abyssinian mustard, Abyssinian kale, colewart, or katran is a member of the mustard family (Cruciferae) and is native to the Mediterranean region. Crambe seeds contain 28 to 33% oil of which 50 to 60% is erucic acid.  Crambe oil also contains oleic acid (around 17%) and linoleic acid (about 9%) as well as linolenic and eicodenoic acid. Erucic acid is used in a number of industrial applications including plastic films, lubricants, and surfactants. The current source of industrial erucic acid is industrial rapeseed.    Crambe is an erect annual herb and is relatively drought tolerant. Research has focused on developing Crambe for production in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southwest U.S. Limited (up to about 58,000 acres) commercial production of Crambe occurs in North Dakota where it is a cool season crop. It is planted in late April to early May at a rate of 15 to 20 lbs pure live seed per acre. Crambe needs a firm seed bed and shallow planting depth. Row widths of 6 to 7 inches are recommended for maximum yield. Nitrogen is added at a rate of 5 lbs N per 100 lbs expected seed yield per acre (about 80 to 100 lbs N/acre). For soils poor in phosphorous and potassium, 45 lb/acre P2O5 and 80 lb/acre K2O are recommended. Addition of 20 to 25 lb/acre of sulfur is helpful in soils low in sulfur. Weed control, particularly during early vegetative development, is essential as Crambe is not a strong competitor with weeds. It is susceptible to Sclerotinia and Alternaria brassicicola infections, particularly under high moisture conditions.   Crambe reaches harvest maturity about 100 days after planting and is harvested using either swathing and combining or straight cutting when seed moisture is less than 14%. Crambe matures early enough that in some areas, such as those where double cropping of wheat and soybeans is successful, double cropping of Crambe might be possible. Crambe is generally planted in rotation with other small grains. Production and harvest of Crambe uses the same equipment as wheat. Crambe meal can be feed to ruminants, but is limited to 4.2% of the total weight of the ration by the FDA due to high glucosinolate concentrations in the meal.   Crambe has yielded up to 2,500 lbs/acre on small commercial fields and demonstration plots, but typically yields 1,200 to 1,800 lb/ac in larger commercial fields. Crambe seed is somewhat more expensive than wheat seed, otherwise production costs are similar.  Transportation costs for Crambe are relatively high compared to other small grains, in part because it is small and lightweight (25 lbs/bushel), but also because each seed is enclosed in a single hull (about 50% of the seed weight) which remains on the seed after harvest and is transported along with the seed. Crambe stubble is sufficient for erosion control, but is brittle and easily destroyed during mechanical operations so it is not a likely candidate for crop residue removal.    Crambe research focuses on developing higher yielding cultivars, higher oil and erucic acid content, lower seed glucosinolate content, and improved resistance to disease, insects, and seed shatter.

References
E.S. Oplinger, E.A. Oelke, A.R. Kaminski, D.H. Putnam, T.M. Teynor, J.D. Doll, K.A. Kelling, B.R. Durgan, and D.M. Noetzel, July 1991, Crambe, Alternative Field Crops Manual, University of Wisconsin. Greg Endres and Blaine Schatz, November 1993, Crambe Production, North Dakota Extension Service A-1010, North Dakota State University. Kenneth D. Carlson, John C. Gardner, Vernon L. Anderson and James J. Hanzel, 1996, Crambe: New crop success, In Progress in new crops, J. Janick (ed.), ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA, pp 306-322. Donald B. Erickson and Philippe Bassin, July 1990, Rapeseed and Crambe—alternative crops with potential industrial uses, Kansas State University, Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 656. Jacqueline Salsgiver, March 1998, Industrial uses of agricultural products such as Crambe play a role in rural community development, Rural Development Perspectives 12(3):38-44. Lewrene Glaser, September 1996, Crambe, industrial rapeseed, and tung provide valuable oils, Industrial Uses, U.S.D.A. Economic Research Service, IUS-6, pp. 17-19. North Dakota State University Extension Service, Crambe Harvest, www.ag.ndsu.edu/procrop/crb/cramha08.htm.