Researchers Find Camelina and Soybean Cropping Combination Feasible

In Minnesota, a recent research shows farmers can successfully grow both food and biofuel crops. Russ Gesch, a plant physiologist with the USDA Soil Conservation Research Lab in Minnesota, found encouraging results when growing Camelina sativa, an emerging biofuel crop, with soybeans in the Midwest.

"Finding any annual crop that will survive winters is pretty difficult," said Gesch, "but winter camelina does that and it has a short enough growing season to allow farmers to grow a second crop after it during the summer."

Researchers tested different growing methods, double-cropping and relay-cropping. Relay-cropping used less water than double-cropping since camelina plants have shallow roots and a short growing season and don't use much water. Moreover, camelina plants flower early in the spring, providing food for pollinators.

"We wanted to find alternative crops that could be integrated into the Midwestern corn/soybean cropping system in a sustainable way that also makes economic sense for farmers," said Gesch.