06/07/07 Camelina a topic at some field days

Farm and Ranch June 7, 2007 Something farmers attending field days around the Pacific Northwest this month are likely to hear about and see is camelina. Like canola and mustard, camelina is a member of the cabbage family. And like canola and mustard its oil can be used for biodiesel, perhaps even as a heart healthy food for humans. University of Idaho crop management specialist Stephen Guy has been experimenting with camelina for a few years. He says it is well adapted to much of the Pacific Northwest and has some advantages over canola and mustard. For one it is more cold or frost tolerant so it could be planted earlier. Guy: "Another advantage we believe is going to be a selling point is that we think we can produce this crop at a lower expense than we can canola." Because camelina appears to have a lower nitrogen fertilizer demand than canola. Guy: "Another advantage is that some of the insect pests that are a problem on canola don't appear to attack camelina and that will save some pesticide applications as well." Guy says he has heard that there are at least 50-thousand acres of camelina in Montana this year, up from the 14-20 thousand planted last year. Presentations on camelina are on tap at the Pendleton and Sherman station field days in Oregon next week on Tuesday and Wednesday and also at the Washington Lind Field Day next Thursday. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.