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Plant Characteristics:

• Camelina - Camelina sativa L. (Brassicaceae).
• Annual or winter annual.
• 30 - 90 cm tall.
• Branched, smooth or hairy stems that become woody at maturity.
• Arrow shaped, sharp-pointed, 5 - 8 cm long leaves with smooth edges.
• Prolific, small, pale-yellow flowers.
• Seed pods 6 - 14 mm long (resemble flax bolls).
• Adapted to cooler northern climates.
• 85 - 100 days to maturity.
• Drought avoidance characteristic. Camelina is better able to compensate for early water deficits.

Seed Characteristics:

• Seed size: 0.7x1.5 mm (more than 500 000 seeds per pound).
• Pale, yellow-brown seed with a ridged surface.
• 29 - 39% oil and 23 - 30% protein.
• Oil composition:
  - 12% saturated (quite low - potential for good edible oil)
  - 54% polyunsaturated (quite high - susceptible to autooxidation and shorter shelf life)
  - 34% monounsaturated (2 - 4% erucic acid).
• Substantial amount of linolenic acid.
• Drying oil (iodine value: 144 - 155).
• High eicosenoic acid content, low in glucosinolates.
• Camelina meal is comparable to soybean meal (45 - 47% crude protein, 10 - 11% fibre).

Agronomic Suggestions:

• Can be sown or broadcast (surface seeded) in late fall on stubble without seedbed preparation.
• Performance of winter-sown camelina is equal or superior to conventional sown flax.
• Seeding rate: 6 - 14 kg/ha.
• Early emerging, cold tolerant, survives minor frosts in spring.
• Small seedlings (non-competitive by themselves) provide excellent competition with many annual weeds if planted at high densities.
• Pre-emergence herbicides may not be necessary for winter or early spring seeded camelina. No herbicides are currently labeled for use in camelina, but most of the common herbicides for use in oilseeds should be safe to use.
• Camelina responds to nitrogen fertilizer similarily to mustard or flax.
• Camelina is highly resistant to blackleg (Lepotosphaeria maculans) and Alternaria brassicae.
• Insect damage has been observed only infrequently.
• Costs of production and yields similar to flax.
• Potential for having the lowest input costs and lowest environmental impact of all oilseeds:
  - compatible with reduced tillage
  - low seeding rate
  - competitiveness with weeds
  - perhaps eliminates requirements for tillage and annual weed control.
• Little research has been done worldwide on camelina and its full agronomic and breeding potential remains largely unexplored.

Use and Markets:

• Edible or industrial oil.
• The only necessary pretreatment for the oil prior to deodorization is filtration. No neutralization, bleaching, etc. is required, which saves costs and energy, and avoids polluting by-products.
• Animal and bird feed.
• Cosmetics (nourishing and moisturizing skin-care products).
• Replacement for petroleum oil in pesticide sprays.
• Manufacture of linoleum (high linolenic acid content).
• Ornamental crop, dried flowers.
• Further utilization research is required.

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November 24, 2003