BIOFUELS
Energy Crops
Anoka-Ramsey Community College and Ever Cat Fuels, LLC., both located in Minnesota, have teamed up to encourage land owners to plant Energy Crops- The SUSTAINABLE way to produce Biodiesel.
Camelina - Energy Crop
Camelina in full bloom (left) and Camelina dried and ready to be harvested (right).
WHY PLANT CAMELINA?
Camelina is a great energy crop that has a high percentage of oil in its seeds, which can then be turned into Biodiesel- a renewable resource.
WHERE IS IT BEING GROWN NOW AS AN ENERGY CROP?
A major effort is under way in Montana, Oregon, some other northwestern states, and Alberta, Canada, to produce Camelina on a large scale under dryland conditions. It is now also being grown in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska.
WHEN SHOULD YOU PLANT IT?:
Begin seeding when soil temperatures reach 38°–40°F in the spring. Camelina is very resistant to frost as a seedling, and stand losses have not been observed at temperatures as low as 20°F. It is important to be ready to take advantage of any early seeding opportunities. In other regions, later plantings have shown yield losses of about 100 pounds per week of delay. Soybean stubble is the preferred seedbed, but be careful to consider the injury potential of previous herbicide applications with long residual materials. For example, the active ingredient sulfentrazone (Authority®/Spartan®) is extremely active on Camelina. Camelina can also be planted following corn or small grain stubble. No-till seeding into sods has resulted in mixed success.
WHAT ARE SOME PLANTING METHODS USED TODAY?
Deal seeding rates for Camelina are 2-5 pounds of pure, live seed per acre. Camelina production should be targeted to fields with low weed pressure, since there are no herbicide options for Camelina. Seed should be drilled very shallow, as shallow as possible, with a grain drill. Ideally, some seed should be observed on the soil surface. The low seeding rate will likely require the use of the forage (grass) seed box at low (nearly closed) settings. It can be broadcast seeded, but like most broadcast seedings, uniformity can be an issue. Either true frost seeding into honey-combed surface soil or following some slight surface disturbance before broadcasting, followed by packing after broadcasting seed, may help. In Europe, Camelina is normally seeded at 6–8 pounds per acre, but recent trials in Montana indicate that 2.5–3 pounds of seed per acre can produce adequate crop stands.
Camelina generally has the ability to germinate with minimal rainfall and establishes quickly. The crop should be planted as early as possible in the spring—as is recommended for oats and/or cool-season forage seedings.
HOW DOES IT GROW WITH OTHER CROPS?
Some reports indicate Camelina should not be planted following buckwheat, but can be double-cropped with many species. Roundup® Ready soybeans have been successfully double-cropped with Camelina in North Central Iowa.
DOES ANYTHING NEED TO BE ADDED FOR IT TO GROW WELL?
Fertilizer can be applied prior to planting or included with the seed if broadcasting. Camelina has generally low fertility requirements. Typical recommendations from Montana are 35–40 pounds of nitrogen (N) where yields ranging from 1,200–1,500 pounds per acre are expected and 40–50 pounds per acre where higher yields are expected. In addition, a recommendation for 25–30 pounds P (phosphorus) (P2O5) per acre and 20 pounds S (sulfur) per acre may be justified in some situations. Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0-24S) at 100 pounds per acre could supply the sulfur needs and provide 21 pounds N per acre. Camelina has a natural pale green color, which should not necessarily be interpreted as a nutrient deficiency. Also, as it develops, Camelina will seem to almost stall in the rosette phase and then elongate and branch (pre-flowering) in a very short time. The crop adapts very well to environmental conditions and can have multiple successive “miniblooms” as moisture and environment allow.
HOW SHOULD IT BE HARVESTED?
If double-cropping, harvesting with a Combine above the grade of the other species is desirable. Please refer to the "double cropping" page associated with this site for harvesting specifics: http://webs.anokaramsey.edu/biofuel/biofuels_energy_crops_double_cropping.htm
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Scientific Name |
Camelina Sativa L. |
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Other Names |
Wild flax, False flax, German sesame, linseed dodder, gold of pleasure, or Siberian oilseed |
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Life Cycle |
Generally grown as an early summer annual oilseed crop, it can be also be grown as a winter annual in milder climates |
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General Description |
Short-season, cool climate adapted crop that matures in 85–100 days, comparable in development and maturity to oats.
Seeds are quite small (timothy seed size) with a typical seed weight around 400,000 seeds per pound (range of 225,000–550,000 seed per pound.) There is no known seed dormancy in Camelina, and seed lost during harvest generally germinates soon thereafter. |
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Seedlings |
Seedling leaves are small and covered with hair. |
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True Leaves and Stem |
The plants grow 12–36 inches tall and have branched stems that become stiff as they mature. Their leaves are 2–4 inches long, arrow shaped, and pointed with smooth edges. Camelina pods do not open easily to allow seed dispersal, and seed losses from shattering before and during harvest are minimal. |
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Roots |
Deep tap root. |
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Flower and Fruit |
Seed pods that resemble flax bolls, small, pea-sized round pods with over a dozen seeds in each. |
| Origin Locations | Native from Finland to Romania and east to the Ural Mountains. |
