Camelina (crop)

Economic importance

Camelina seeds contain 40–46% drying oil. Camelina oil is mainly used in the paint and varnish and soap-making industries. Its use for food is limited due to poor taste qualities. Only fresh oil is used as food, since it quickly becomes rancid during storage.

Camelina seed cake serves as a concentrated feed. 100 kg of cake corresponds to 115 feed units. However, it is fed to animals in small amounts, because in large amounts it is harmful due to the presence of glycosides.

In Russia and the countries of the former USSR, mainly spring camelina is cultivated.

The cake can be used as organic fertilizer.

Cultivation areas and yield

In Russia, the main sown areas of spring camelina are concentrated in Western and Eastern Siberia, Bashkiria, and the Volga region.

As of 1986, the sown area was about 10,000 ha.

Winter camelina is cultivated in Saratov Oblast on limited areas.

Average yield is 1.0–1.2 t/ha.

Botanical description

Spring camelina (Camelina sativa Czantz.) is an annual herbaceous plant of the family Brassicaceae (Brassicaceae).

The root is a taproot.

The stems are well developed, thin, and branching.

Plant height is 50–80 cm.

The leaves are lanceolate, on short petioles, entire or slightly dentate, covered with stiff hairs.

The inflorescence is a raceme. The flowers are pale yellow and small.

In northern regions it is self-pollinating; in southern regions it tends toward cross-pollination.

The fruit is a pear-shaped silicle, 6–9 mm long, dehiscent when ripe, 6–8-seeded.

The seeds are 1.5–2 mm, oblong-oval, reddish-brown. The 1000-seed weight is 1–1.5 g.

Winter camelina (Camelina silvestris Waller). It differs from spring camelina by its woody, strongly branched stem and strong pubescence of leaves and stems. The fruits are somewhat smaller — 5–7 mm.

Biological characteristics

Spring forms of camelina are undemanding to growing conditions.

The seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 1–2 °C. The seedlings can withstand frosts down to -12 °C.

It tolerates drought relatively easily.

It prefers sandy loam and slightly saline soils.

The plants are long-day plants.

Growing season

The growing season of spring camelina is 66–90 days. As its crops move northward, the duration of the growing season decreases.

Crop rotation

The best preceding crops for spring camelina are winter and row crops.

Fertilizer system

Spring camelina responds well to the application of mineral fertilizers.

Recommended fertilizer rates are N₃₀P₄₅K₃₀.

Soil tillage system

Camelina requires careful pre-sowing soil tillage.

Sowing

Sowing begins early.

The sowing method is conventional row sowing.

The seed sowing rate is 8–10 kg/ha.

The sowing depth is 2–3 cm.

Crop care

Crop care for camelina consists of harrowing after emergence.

Plant protection

To control pests, diseases, and weeds in camelina crops, preparations recommended for oilseed crops of the family Brassicaceae (Brassicaceae) are used:

• FERAZIM, SC; against root rots, seeds are treated;
• VITAVAX 200, WP; against seed mould, black spot or black mold, downy mildew, helminthosporium root rot, seeds are treated;
• FOLICUR, EC and PAR AON, EC; against alternaria blight, sclerotinia, spraying is carried out during the growing season;
• ALTALF, EC, TSUNAMI, EC, ALPHA CIPI, EC, ALFAS, EC, ROTALAZ, EC, FASKORD, EC, CAESAR, EC, PIKET, EC, KINMIKS, EC; against rape blossom beetle, crucifer flea beetles, spraying is carried out during the growing season;
• VANTEX, CS; against rape blossom beetle, spraying is carried out during the growing season;
• DECIS, EC, SPLENDER, EC, ATOM, EC, DECIS EXTRA, EC; against rape blossom beetle, bugs, white butterflies, flea beetles, aphids, spraying is carried out during the growing season;
• ROGOR S, EC, DI-68, EC; against crucifer flea beetles, seedlings are sprayed;
• FURY, EW, TARAN, EW, TARZAN, EW; against rape blossom beetle, spraying of seedlings and during the growing season;
• CHINUK, SC; against crucifer flea beetles, seed treatment is carried out;
• HINUFUR, SC, BETAFUR, SC, FURADAN FS; against crucifer flea beetles, seed treatment is carried out;
• KARATE, EC, LAMBDA-S, EC, KUNGFU, EC; against rape blossom beetle, spraying is carried out during the growing season;
• KARACHAR, EC, MAVRIK, EW, ZOLON, EC, FORT, EC; against rape blossom beetle, spraying is carried out during the growing season;
• ARRIVO, EC; against rape blossom beetle, crucifer flea beetles, bugs, white butterflies, aphids, spraying is carried out during the growing season;
• CREOCID-50, EC, CREOCID-100, EC, SUMI-ALPHA, EC, SEMPLAY, EC; against rape blossom beetle, crucifer flea beetles, spraying is carried out during the growing season;
• OPERKOT, WP; against rape blossom beetle, spraying is carried out during the growing season;
• CARBAFOS, EC, CARBOFOT, EC, FUFANON, EC, KEMIFOS, EC, BUNCHUK, EC; against mites, aphids, cutworms, bugs, leaf beetles, cabbage moths, sawflies, blossom beetles, leaf beetles, meadow moths, spraying is carried out during the growing season;
• ZOLON, EC, BULLDOCK, EC; against rape blossom beetle, spraying is carried out during the growing season.

To control weeds in cruciferous crops, the following preparations are approved for use:

• ZELLEK-SUPER, EC; against annual grass weeds, spraying is carried out at the 2–3 leaf stage of weeds, regardless of the crop development stage;
• LONTREL-300, AS, LONTREL GRAND, WDG, AGRON GRAND, WDG; against all species of sow thistle (Sonchus spp.), chamomile, knotweed, spraying is carried out at the 3–4 leaf stage of the crop;
• BUTIZAN 400, SC; against annual grass and dicotyledonous weeds, spraying of crops before crop emergence;
• DEVRINOL, WP; against annual dicotyledonous weeds, soil spraying (with incorporation) before sowing;
• DUAL GOLD, EC; against annual grass and some dicotyledonous weeds, spraying before sowing or before crop emergence;
• TREFLAN, EC; against annual grass and dicotyledonous weeds, soil spraying before sowing;
• FURORE-SUPER 7.5, EW, FURORE EXPRESS, EC; against annual grass weeds (wild oat (Avena fatua), foxtail species (Setaria spp.), common barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli)), spraying of crops on growing weeds, starting from the 2-leaf stage until the end of tillering;
• FUSILAD-SUPER, EC, FUSILAD FORTE, EC; against annual grass weeds, spraying of crops at the 2–4 leaf stage of weeds; also against perennial grass weeds, spraying of crops when weeds are 10–15 cm tall.

Harvesting

Harvesting of seeds begins at full ripeness, when the lower silicles turn brown and the seeds harden.

Harvesting is carried out with converted combines.

Camelina seeds should be stored at a moisture content of no more than 9%.

Camelina varieties

Spring camelina varieties: Voronezhsky 349, Voronezhsky 339, Kirgizsky, Omsky mestny.

References

1. Vavilov P. P., Gritsenko V. V., Kuznetsov V. S. et al. (1986). Crop Production. Edited by Vavilov P. P. 5th ed., revised and expanded. Moscow: Agropromizdat.
2. Kolomeichenko V. V. (2007). Crop Production/Textbook. Moscow: Agrobiznescentr.