Farmers Report on Camelina Experiment

South Dakota farmers Arthur and Jennifer Walker received funding from North Central Region SARE to test the potential of winter camelina as a rotation crop. North Central Region SARE reports that they planted side-by-side plots of camelina and winter wheat on both irrigated and dryland fields. Despite severe drought, camelina performed well under irrigation, maturing earlier than wheat, using less nitrogen, and attracting pollinators. However, winter wheat appeared to do a better job with weed control, and camelina proved vulnerable to shattering during harvest. The lack of a local market for camelina also posed a challenge, though the Walkers experimented with several local, alternative markets for camelina oil and meal.