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ABSTRACT
Oilseed crops show potential as biofuel feedstocks that can diversif y spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L .) rotations in the northern Great Plains. Camelina (Camelina sativa L .) is a relatively new oi lseed crop, with limited emergence information available. A 70-d incubator study investigated the impact of temperature (0, 2 , 4, and 16°C), seeding depth (3 and 6 mm), a nd cultivar (Blaine Creek, Calena, Celine, Ligena, and Suneson) on camelina emergence. After 68 d, camelina emergence at 0°C approached 10 0%. Base temperature averaged -0.70°C for the five cultivars tested and was 19% lower for the 6- than the 3-mm seeding depth, although emergence was 11% sooner for the 3- than the 6 -mm seeding depth. About 1150 growing degree hours were required for 50% emergence, which corresponds to 29 March for camelina planted on 10 March, the earliest date when the average daily temperature exceeds the base temperature according to long-term weather records for Sidney, MT. These results suggest that camelina emerges at temperatures below the freezing point of water and that early planting in spring wou ld probably be limited by field access due to wet soil rather than the base temperature requirement. A lthough camelina emerges at temperatures below freezing under laborator y conditions, fur ther investigation is warranted to confirm emergence under field conditions and determine the frost tolerance of camelina subsequent to germination.
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There is an increasing need to diversify crop production systems in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) of North America, where the traditional system of spring wheat-fallow results in inefficient use of soil water and plant nutrients, increased soil erosion potential, and reduced economic return (Greb et al., 1970; Janzen, 1987; Wienhold et al., 2006; Allen et al., 2011). As a result, adoption of alternative crops such as oilseeds and pulses has increased in the NGP. For instance, oilseed production acreage in northeastern Montana and northwestern North Dakota increased from 72,000 ha in 1990 to >334,000 ha in 2010 (Hansen et al., 2012). Camelina is an oilseed crop that has recently received interest as a low-input cropping alternative in the semiarid NGP. Little information is available for production and management of this new crop, however. For example, Lenssen...