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Oilseed camelina ( Camelina sativa [L.] Crantz) has potential to diversify and intensify dryland wheat-based crop production in the US Great Plains. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate camelina as a fallow replacement crop in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L) − fallow (W-F) crop rotation system across five locations in the Great Plains. Results showed both winter wheat and camelina grain yields varied across locations. Wheat yields after summer fallow averaged 3393 kg ha −1 , significantly greater than 2796 kg ha −1 wheat yields following spring camelina. This represents an average of 17.6% reduction in wheat yields following camelina compared to fallow. However, wheat protein concentration following camelina was not different from that after fallow. In general, camelina seed yield and oil concentration obtained in the northern Great Plains were approximately 28.7 and 18.5% more than that produced in the central Great Plains, possibly due to difference in mean growing season air temperature among the locations. Our findings showed camelina can be grown as a fallow replacement crop in dryland systems across the Great Plains but ready markets will be needed for grower adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camelina ( Camelina sativa L. Crantz) is a promising bioenergy crop, but a sustainable production system for this crop has not yet been well developed. There is also concern about competing land use between crop productions for bioenergy or food use. One approach to overcoming this concern and developing sustainable production systems for bioenergy crops is potentially replacing the fallow period in wheat-based cropping systems with bioenergy crops. The agronomic and economic benefits of growing camelina in rotation with winter wheat were evaluated in a replicated rotation study from 2008 to 2011 in the Northern Great Plains (NGP), focusing on the effects on wheat yield and overall profitability of the cropping system. Average winter wheat yields were 2401 and 1858 kg ha −1 following camelina and barley, respectively, representing a 13.2 and 32.8% winter wheat yield reduction compared to the fallow–winter wheat rotation (2766 kg ha −1 ). Lower winter wheat yield in the alternative systems were offset by 907 kg ha −1 camelina and 1779 kg ha −1 barley yields. Economic analyses revealed that at existing market prices and production costs, the traditional fallow–winter wheat rotation provides greater net returns to growers due to substantially lower variable costs of the system. Scenario analyses that use more optimized, lower cost camelina production practices show that the net profits of camelina–wheat system could be closer to those in the fallow–wheat system. However, higher grain price and/or greater grain yield of camelina are essential to attract producers to include camelina in their cropping systems. Although the fallow–wheat system resulted in higher short-run net returns, the total biomass production and crop residue return to soil is much greater in camelina–wheat than fallow–wheat rotation, which is likely to improve soil quality and productivity in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camelina ( Camelina sativa ) is a promising biofuel feedstock to fill the fallow period in dryland wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) −fallow cropping system of the U.S Northern Great Plains (NGP). Responses of camelina to tillage system (conventional tillage [CT] and no-till [NT]), nitrogen (N) rate (0, 45, 90 kg ha −1 ), and nitrogen source (urea and an enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer [EENF] containing urease and nitrification inhibitors) were evaluated in a 2-yr (2013–2014) field experiment in a dryland farming system of central Montana. Grain yield, biomass, oil content, and oil yield of camelina displayed significant first-order effects of tillage, N rate, and N source when averaged across each of the other factors, but interaction effects were not significant. Camelina tended to yield greater in CT than NT by about 26%. Application of EENF significantly increased grain yield when compared with U, which was more pronounced under CT. Dose response of camelina grain yield, biomass, and grain protein to N rate in the range of 0 to 90 kg ha −1 was linear, whereas N fertilization showed a detrimental effect on oil accumulation in seeds. Although oil content declined in response to N application, oil yield (kg ha −1 ), which is the most important criterionin seedoil derived biofeedstock, positively responded to N application. Our results clearly demonstrated the need for further research to optimize management strategies for successful camelina production under NT system. Our results also indicated the potential of EENF in enhancing the yield of camelina, especially under CT system. Irrespective of tillage system and source of N, application of 90 kg N ha −1 (minus soil mineral N) led to the highest yield of camelina in this environment, but yield gain in response to N application greater than 45 kg ha −1 was very small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the great potential of camelina ( Camelina sativa L. Crantz) as a promising biofuel feedstock, in-farm energy flow of the crop and its associated environmental impacts has not received sufficient attention from researchers. In order to assess net energy gain and to identify energy saving and environmental friendly production operations, a two year study was conducted at central Montana. We investigated the effects of tillage method (CT (conventional tillage) vs. NT (no-tillage)) and N (nitrogen) fertilizer rate (0, 45, 90 kg N ha −1 ) on energy balance and GHG (greenhouse gas emission) of dryland camelina production. Results indicated that energy input and GHG emission were 5 and 8% lower in NT than in CT. Application of 45 and 90 kg N ha −1 increased camelina energy input by 186 and 365%, while increased energy output by only 21 and 64%, respectively. There was no significant difference in net energy gain in response to N fertilization, but lower energy efficiency in response to higher N inputs. Averaged across tillage systems, the GHG emission was 32.0 kg C eq ha −1 with 0 N applied, and the GHG emission increased by 206 and 389% when 45 and 90 kg N ha −1 was applied. Overall, N fertilizer had the biggest share in total energy input. Averaged over all experimental treatments, 14,945 MJ ha −1 net energy was obtained from camelina crop in this study which shows the potential of this crop as a bioenergy feedstock. Our result showed that implementation of NT is strongly recommendable for camelina production in this region. Moreover, improvement of N use efficiency has the highest priority to improve energy performance and reduce GHG emissions in camelina production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]