New research is looking for genetic improvements to spring and winter camelina.

Camelina varieties up for an upgrade

Saskatchewan research hopes to take both winter and spring camelina varieties to the next level

Both winter and spring camelina might be on the cusp of better varieties to help boost production of the lower input oilseed in Western Canada.

Global Clean Energy owns 20 patented spring and winter varieties of camelina. One of the newest varieties has confirmed resistance to imazamox and imazethapyr, the active ingredients in BASF’s Beyond and Pursuit Group 2 herbicides.

Camelina boosters see bright future ahead

Largest firm in sector sees potential for quick acreage growth over next decade

Glacier FarmMedia – Camelina is poised for takeoff as the renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel industries ramp up, says a promoter of the crop. Mike Karst, senior vice-president of Global Clean Energy and president of its subsidiary, Sustainable Oils, has been promoting the oilseed since 2007. There have been many momentum ebbs and flows


Photo: Thinkstock

Camelina meal approved as feed for egg-laying hens in Canada

The Saskatoon-based Smart Earth Seeds has received federal approval to offer the Omega-3 rich camelina meal as a feed ingredient for egg-laying hens. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has approved the inclusion of 10 per cent camelina cake in feed for egg-laying hens. The federal agency had earlier approved cold-pressed, non-solvent extracted camelina meal for

fish in tank

Aquaculture could be big market for camelina

Fish-farming companies are looking 
for a crop-based alternative to fish meal 
from wild stocks

A recent discovery in the aquaculture industry may soon make camelina oil a highly sought alternative for fish feed. Currently half of the world’s seafood supply comes from farmed fish, but fish meal from wild stock is still part of the ration, putting a strain on the population. “The proportion of wild fish that is

Camelina is a low-input oilseed that grows well in cool conditions and is capable of withstanding drought.

Camelina: A viable complementary crop

Boasting a short growing season, minimal input costs and drought tolerance, 
camelina may be a decent complementary option for Manitoba producers

There are a couple of bugs to work out, but the agronomics look good, especially in rotation with soybeans. If the market potential can be realized, camelina may become a bigger part of the crop mix in Western Canada. “The interesting thing about camelina from an agronomic point of view is that it is a


camelina

Camelina worth considering for reseeding if other options limited

Smart Earth Seeds is contracting production, but it must be delivered to either Chaplin or Gull Lake, Sask.

With one eye on the rain gauge and another on the calendar, some Manitoba farmers are wondering about late-seeding crop options. Smart Earth Seeds, a Saskatchewan company, says camelina, is one to consider. There’s a long list of crops, including wheat, barley, oats, flax and buckwheat that can be seeded as late as June 20

Friction Boffins See Future In Plant-Based Oils

There’s one simple reason why Linnaeus Plant Sciences founder Jack Grushcow would rather talk about camelina as a lubricant than as camelina in your tank. Fuel sells for around $1 per litre, but hydraulic fluid sells for $5 per litre. The Vancouver-based entrepreneur told the recent Canadian Weed Science Society’s annual meeting there are a

Weed Science Meet Looks At Risk Of Runaway Crops

Creating super varieties through genetic modification and introducing new crops could open a Pandora’s box of problems, according to some leading weed scientists. Farmers have long battled introduced crops such as kochia – a drought-tolerant, prolific forage that is now one of the most abundant weeds in North America. “The invasion by crops is not


New Trade Association Formed For North America Camelina Industry

Thirteen seed companies, processors and researchers of camelina have formed the first trade association focused on camelina production and processing in North America. The North American Camelina Trade Association (NACTA) will work to promote research, production and the development of new markets for camelina. Camelina sativa, also known as gold of pleasure or false flax,

Not Your Grandpa’s Crops

Camelina, calendula, niger, zero-tannin fababeans and hemp are some of the non-traditional crops that have been sprouting up in Manitoba fields in recent years. All of them can be grown successfully in this region, judging from the results from the Western Ag Diversification Organization’s (WADO) test plots last year. Of them all, camelina has been