Potential benefits to the environment by integrating winter camelina in current cropping systems of the northern Great Plains of the USA

Authors: BERTI, MARISOL - North Dakota State University; YAN, GUIPING - North Dakota State University; SAMARAPPULI, DULAN - North Dakota State University; PETERSON, ALAN - North Dakota State University; WITTENBERG, ALEX - North Dakota State University; Anderson, James

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/29/2019
Publication Date: 5/29/2019
Citation: Berti, M.T., Yan, G., Samarappuli, D., Peterson, A., Wittenberg, A., Anderson, J.V. 2019. Potential benefits to the environment by integrating winter camelina in current cropping systems of the northern Great Plains of the USA. Proceedings of European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, May 27-30, 2019, Lisbon, Portugal. p.131-136.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Camelina sativa, (L.) Crantz is a marketable oilseed feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts. In addition to being an oilseed commodity, winter-annual biotypes of camelina are also being evaluated in northern climates of the USA for ecosystem benefits associated with improving soil health, suppressing weeds and soybean cyst nematode (SCN) (Heterodera glycines) egg populations, and providing early-season nutritional sources for pollinators. Winter camelina biotypes can be intersown into maize and soybean crops allowing for a third crop option in maize-soybean rotations without increasing indirect land use. The objectives of this study were to determine the potential of winter camelina to remove soil nitrate and to reduce SCN egg populations when intersown into soybean. Experiments were conducted at various locations in North Dakota and Minnesota from 2016-2018. For the nutrient cycling experiment, winter camelina cv. Joelle, rye (Secale cereale L.), winter pea (Pisum sativum L.), and radish (Raphanus sativus L.) were intersown into soybean at the R4 and R6 stages. For the SCN study, brown mustard (Brassica juncea cv. Kodiak), crambe (Crambe abyssinica cv. Bel Ann), and winter camelina were intersown into a SCN-susceptible and a SCN-resistant soybean at the V6 stage and were also established before sowing soybean. Results indicate that intersown winter camelina did not have an impact on soybean yield and quality. Fall soil residual NO3-N levels were lowest in the plots with camelina ranging from 25 to 27.7 kg/ha and highest in check plots without camelina at 47 kg/ha. In the SCN studies, camelina, mustard, and crambe sown prior to soybean did not establish well, mainly due to the growing season starting too late to allow for sufficient growth prior to soybean sowing. Preliminary results indicate crambe, brown mustard and winter camelina performed the best when intersown at the V6 stage of soybean. Soybean cyst nematode egg counts were highly variable in the plots at the beginning of the season with counts from zero to 18,100 SCN eggs/100 cm3 of soil. Soil samples were taken from each plot and are being assayed for the final SCN population densities. Preliminary results show the three cover crops intersown at the V6 stage reduced SCN eggs in the susceptible soybean variety but not in the resistant variety. Intersowing winter camelina appears to have potential to mitigate soil erosion and nitrate losses, and to reduce SCN egg populations in areas that grow soybean as a cash crop.