Short-term green manure effects on crambe yield and oil content

Abstract

Crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst. ex R.E. Fries) is an oilseed crop that can be cultivated in tropical conditions and used for the production of industrial oil. While crambe is believed to be a suitable crop for no-tillage systems, identification of appropriate crop species to precede it is necessary to improve its grain yield and oil content. In this study, we aimed to assess the short-term effects of crop rotation on the grain yield and oil content of a crambe crop cultivated after spring-summer cover crops. The experiment was conducted on an Rhodic Hapludox soil in Santa Helena-PR, Brazil. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with four replications. The plots consisted of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), grass brachiaria (Brachiaria brizantha), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) and a fallow area (spontaneous vegetation). Grain yield, oil content, and oil yield were measured. Crambe oil content was influenced by the cover crops. The use of crotalaria as predecessor species resulted in higher oil content, but the result did not differ from that observed in the fallow area. However, grain yield and oil content were benefited by the crotalaria cover crop in the short-term. Crambe looks promising as an alternative oilseed crop for South Brazil when seeded in autumn with crotalaria cover crop in Rhodic Hapludox.

Crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst): A Non-Food Oilseed Crop with Great Potential: A Review

“…Erucic acid has attracted wide interests as raw material for hydraulic fluids, oleochemicals, lubricants, additives, and as a starting material for new fibers, resins, plastics, lacquers, and other products [12,13]. Wazilewski et al [14] reported that the oxidative stability of crambe oil-derived biodiesel is higher than soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]…”

“…It is less tolerant to heavy soils, prone to waterlogging [10,32,57,58]. In tropical regions, soil compaction caused by lack of crop rotation and machine traffic needs to be considered in crambe establishment [12]. Bassegio et al [59], have proposed a cover crop rotation system using sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) to reduce soil compaction before crambe cultivation.…”

“…Maize (Zea mays L.) seeder fitted with maize or soybean plates can be used to plant crambe in rows of 50 and 76 cm. In Brazil, row spacing varies between 17 and 50 cm, mainly depending on the availability of seeding equipment [12].…”

“…This is the result of slow initial growth up to four weeks after emergence [32]. Negative effects of weed competition generally show 60 to 70 days after emergence [12]. Therefore, it is critical to maintain a weed-free environment by canopy closure.…”

“…Crambe has a low bulk density, which is about 340 kg m −3 [12]. Since crambe seeds are small and light weight, transport and storage facilities need to be tight to avoid seed losses.…”