07/09/08 Regional camelina research

Farm and Ranch July 9, 2008 Researchers at the University of Idaho, Oregon State University and Washington State University are involved in a regional research project on the oilseed camelina. OSU's Don Wysocki says four locations are involved in the project from the high rainfall area of Corvallis, Oregon to the low rainfall region at Lind, Washington. Wysocki: "Actually we have three experiments at all four locations. We have a planting date trial. We have nitrogen rate trials and we are also screening the germplasm that is available in camelina for production." WSU's Bill Schillinger says the attraction of camelina for the low rainfall winter wheat summer fallow region is that it would be a broadleaf in the crop rotation. Schillinger: "And one of the big advantages of camelina is that it is a broadleaf crop. And our biggest grass week out here is downy brome. Goatgrass is also a problem. We can take those weeds out of camelina with selective herbicides." Schillinger grew camelina at Lind last year that produced as much as 14-hundred pounds of seed an acre. But it is a different story this year given historically low winter water storage and spring precipitation. Schillinger says Dwayne Johnson of Great Plains Camelina estimates this year's Lind Station yields at just a couple hundred pounds an acre. Schillinger: "I hope this is just the trough. The weather has been extremely dry here this year." I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.