Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/14/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Winter camelina, a new oilseed crop, can survive harsh northern U.S. winters and potentially provide economic and environmental benefits when used in rotation between summer annual crops. However, further study of the yield and economic trade-offs of using winter camelina in a corn-soybean rotation is needed. A study was conducted at two different sites in Minnesota to determine grain yields and quality of a corn-camelina-soybean rotation using a range of corn hybrid maturities and either removing or not removing corn stover before planting camelina. We also calculated the economic trade-offs of a conventional corn-soybean rotation versus one including winter camelina. Corn and soybean yields were highest in treatments unfavorable to camelina and vice versa. After-harvest corn stover negatively impacted camelina establishment and hence yield, but was favorable for soybean production. Agronomic and economic analyses of the entire rotation indicated that treatments using 90- and 95-day corn hybrids, regardless of stover presence, performed equally well making room for multiple options moving forward with a corn-camelina-soybean cropping system. However, conventional thinking may have to shift, whereby emphasis is placed on managing productivity of the whole system over two growing seasons, rather than just managing to optimize yield and return of any single crop in the system. Results will benefit agricultural scientists, consultants, farmers, and ag industries working to integrate camelina into corn-soybean rotations.

Technical Abstract: Corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] account for much of the arable land in the Upper Midwest during the summer, but land is left fallow in late autumn after harvest through early spring leaving valuable growing degree days unused. Temporal intensification is a concept that considers planting crops such as winter camelina (Camelina sativa L.) during these fallow periods. Winter camelina is a winter annual oilseed that can survive the harsh winter conditions in the Upper Midwest while providing an economic benefit to farmers the following spring. However, there are significant agronomic and economic trade-offs associated with integrating camelina into the corn-soybean rotation. The objectives of this study were to assess the yield potential and seed quality of a corn-camelina-soybean rotation utilizing a range of corn hybrid maturities; evaluate camelina establishment in environments with and without corn stover; and calculate the economic trade-offs of the typical corn-soybean rotation versus including camelina. This study was conducted over the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons at two locations in Minnesota, USA. Corn and soybean seed yields were maximized in treatments that were unfavorable to camelina and vice versa. Corn stover presence had a negative effect on camelina establishment and yield, but was favorable to soybean production. Based on both the agronomic and economic analyses for the aggregated cropping system, treatments that began with 90 and 95 RM corn hybrids performed equally well, regardless of stover presence, indicating that there are multiple options to move forward with a corn-camelina-soybean cropping rotation.