Farm Diversification

Oil from Camelina can be used in a range of applications including cosmetics and paints, skin care products, and soaps and detergents. 

Camelina is a brassica, originating in the Mediterranean to Central Asia.  The crop is drought tolerant and can be grown in a wide range of conditions.  Field scale trials over a number of years in Scotland have indicated that it can be successfully cultivated with no notable agronomic problems.

It is spring sown and established at a rate of around 7kg/ha, similar to oilseed rape.  Life many of the other specialist crops described inputs are low. 

Camelina requires a maximum of 75 kg N/ha, ideally split between the seedbed and 4 leaf stage.  Establishment should be rapid, which will suppress weed growth.  Like spring oilseed rape, treatment to control pollen beetle may be required, if these occur before flowers open.

Camelina forms small seed pods which show good resistance to splitting and the crop can stand for a considerable period at maturity without seed loss.  Swathing or desiccation may be carried out pre harvest, and direct cutting without a pre harvest treatment may also be possible in some situations.  Camelina is extremely small seeded and care must be taken to avoid seed loss during handling. 

Average seed yield is in the region of 2 – 2.5 t/ha. 

The most recent market information, in 2006, showed a price of £250/tonne for Camelina. 

Only a limited area has been grown commercially in the UK and there are currently no contracts available. 

Whilst the range of fatty acids produced shows a diverse production, this has a disadvantage of not encouraging focus on particular markets and its introduction as a crop has slowed.

The meal left after oil extraction contains around 45 – 47% protein and 10 – 11% fibre and is similar to sowbean meal.  In contrast to rapeseed it contains low levels of the anti-nutritive compounds glucosinolates, suggestions that it could be used at higher levels in animal feed.  The greater potential to utilise the meal may enhance  viability of small scale processing.  A challenge for successful processing on a farm scale may be the very small size of seeds, which would require careful setting to achieve satisfactory oil extraction.