Managing Harvest Time to Control Pod Shattering in Oilseed Camelina

Abstract

Camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) is an oilseed crop with the potential for dryland crop production in the Great Plains. However, pod shattering may cause signifi cant yield losses. We determined the impact of diff erent harvest times on camelina seed yield (SY), water use effi ciency, protein and oil content, and estimated biodiesel yield. Spring (Blaine Creek) and winter (BX WG1) camelina cultivars were harvested at three diff erent stages, corresponding to the three-digit Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt und Chemische Industrie (BBCH) scales of 805 (early harvest; 50% ripe pods), 807 to 808 (midharvest; 70-80% ripe pods), and 809 (late harvest; >90% ripe pods). In addition, diff erent harvest methods were assessed to identify and quantify other sources of yield loss. Seed moisture contents at early, mid, and late harvests were 14.2, 9.8, and 6.8%, respectively. On average, the SY of early harvest was 9.5 and 23.6% greater than the mid-and late harvests, respectively. Total seed loss incurred during direct-combine harvest was 11.7%, which was attributable to the mechanical disturbance imposed on the pods and the combine settings. Camelina seed oil content was greatest at mid-harvest, but the estimated biodiesel yield was not signifi cantly diff erent between the early and mid-harvests. In general, direct combining when 75% of camelina pods are ripe will provide a balance between SY loss and the seed protein and oil contents.

Coal‐Bed Methane Water: Effects on Soil Properties and Camelina Productivity

“…However, homogenous soil was used in the study, and since camelina emerged within <7 d after seeding, there would have been minimal effect of CBMW on the soil. Studies show that seed emergence of camelina is very variable and is controlled by genetic, physiological, and environmental factors (Lenssen et al, 2012; Sintim et al, 2016b). Since the seedlings were thinned out to 10 plants pot −1 in all treatments after emergence, the differences in plant emergence among the treatments did not affect the yields of camelina.…”

“…Thus, the irrigation amount was low during the initial and late‐season growth stages but was high during the early‐ and midseason growth stages, which is the typical irrigation regime for most crops. Seed emergence of camelina is very variable and is controlled by genetic, physiological, and environmental factors (Lenssen et al, 2012; Sintim et al, 2016b). Thus, 10 d after emergence, we thinned the seedlings to 10 plants pot −1 in all treatments to eliminate other factors confounding the results.…”

“…An oilseed crop that has been explored for biofuel purposes in recent times is camelina [ Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] (Wu and Leung, 2011; Obour et al, 2015). Camelina seeds, generally have high oil contents (35–45%), which are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (Gugel and Falk, 2006; Sintim et al, 2016b). However, lower seed oil content (28%) has been reported for camelina in Texas (Darapuneni et al, 2014).…”

Pod Shattering: A Homologous Series of Variation Underlying Domestication and an Avenue for Crop Improvement

“…Direct cutting is advantageous during rainy and windy seasons, whereas, swathing is preferred in harsh winter conditions, as it protects the crops from frost [126]. Harvest time is also important, as harvesting at the optimum stage of seed development results in higher yield in both winter and spring crops [125,127], and swathing before the crop reaches maturity reduces yield [126]. Delayed harvest was found to have adverse effects on yield in other crops including wheat [119], soybean [128], lentil [129], and chickpea [130].…”

“…Crop improvement is an essential part of the modern agriculture, and developing new techniques and optimizing plant breeding tools are necessary to meet the food demand of a growing human population in drastically changing environments [127,[137][138][139]. Early plant breeding efforts were limited to utilizing the advantageous traits via selective breeding, which is a slow process and not a viable option in a rapidly changing environment.…”