Camelina: A Potential Winter Crop for the Northern Corn Belt.

Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) may offer a low-input oilseed alternative for biodiesel and other vegetable oil applications. Little is known about its agronomic potential or the winter survivability of winter cultivars in the northern Corn Belt. A study was initiated in west central Minnesota to evaluate the agronomics and optimum seeding date of two winter camelina cultivars, BSX-WG1 and Joelle. Seed was sown at one-week intervals between mid-September and mid-October in 2007 in chisel plowed and no-tilled (wheat stubble) soil in a split-plot RCBD with four replications. The potential of following winter camelina with a spring crop was also examined. Spring plant stands did not differ between cultivars, but were greater in no-till soil and when seeded in early October. Severe early-season water logging led to a 27 to 32% loss of stand at harvest. Averaged across tillage and planting dates, yield was greater for Joelle (505 kg ha^-1) than BSX-WG1 (389 kg ha^-1). Yield did not differ with tillage, but was slightly higher when seeded in early- to mid-October. BSX began flowering about 3 to 4 d earlier than Joelle. Plants reached 50% flowering as early as May 22 and were harvested between June 26 and July 15. Time between 50% flowering and harvest ranged from 34 to 45 d. Early maturing soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), and Siberian foxtail millet (Setaria italic L.) were planted following the earliest camelina harvests and yielded 70, 76, and 100%, respectively, of their full-season counterparts. Winter camelina appears to have good survivability for the northern Corn Belt and can be harvested early enough to allow potential for double cropping a food and biofuel crop in a single growing season.