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Post by canadamike on Mar 11, 2009 1:36:49 GMT -5
Can some research done somebody here direct me towards some recent research on CULTIVARS OR VARIETIES done on this fantastic brassicacae that has all the potential to grow here on the farm. To those not knowing about it, think rapeseed oil, but tasting somewhat of almonds. The omega-3 content is fantastic, it can be grown no till, in fact the best way is to broadcast seeds on frozen ground late in the fall, it germinates before other weeds and shows fantastic potential both in the field and for health. Results are better than with cultivation. I would like to find sources of more modern cultivars with no ( if possible) erucic acid or a very low content. The reseach I read is from 1997 or more recent, but I need NAMES or at least places to source better or most desirable seeds. Just fun the fun of it folks, they have flown a B-747 on it, mixed at 50% with some other fuel. Look it up: The old study: www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/v2-314.htmlNewer stuff: www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/grains__oilseeds/camelina_profile.cfmAnd the oil aint cheap: www.fromnaturewithlove.com/soap/product.asp?product_id=oilcamilwww.marxfoods.com/Lena-Camelina-Salad-Oil |
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Post by raymondo on Mar 11, 2009 4:54:12 GMT -5
The Biobased Products Institute at the University of Montana seems to be doing a lot of work on it: www.montana.edu/biobasedIt sounds like a great crop for organic growers: sown over icy ground in winter then comes up in spring beating the weeds! |
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Post by ottawagardener on Mar 11, 2009 8:49:48 GMT -5
That sounds seriously exciting. So to find seeds, I just go to the nearest flax field? I bet a field of flax and 'false flax' (the other common name it seems though your choice is much more interesting!) would look very pretty in flower.
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Post by canadamike on Mar 11, 2009 15:17:03 GMT -5
Looks pretty much like mustard Telsing. Not at close range but in a field, hard to differentiate.
I simply would like to put my hands on varieties lower in erucic acid if possible.
There is research being made in Quebec as we speak: they seed camelia in between rows of soybean both to control weeds and provide extra protein and oil at the same time.
They then will feed the extra seeds of camelina to calfs in 2 ways: total seeds and leftovers of the oil extraction process, where there is 12% oil left in the ''pulp'' ( I don't know the english term for the french word tourteau ). They will also have 2 different control feeding processes for comparison.
Meat will be evalued for marbling and all other culinary and nutritive quality.
I think I might get in touch with the researcher supervising the study.
The only problem is that they are trying to ''squeeze'' camelina production into a framework of agriculture I might not want to deal with. What are the ''intrants'' in the soil used??? Any or none?
But there nevertheless might be good lessons to draw from it.
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Post by ottawagardener on Mar 11, 2009 15:31:38 GMT -5
That's what I observed when I looked at pictures: I imagine a field of blue and yellow flowers would be awfully pretty to look at. My understanding is that its a common weed in flax fields and that its seeds are flax shaped having evolved to pass through sorters for flax.
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Post by raymondo on Mar 11, 2009 15:48:13 GMT -5
...the english term for the french word tourteau... Tourteau de graines de camélina = Camelina meal perhaps? |
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Post by canadamike on Mar 11, 2009 17:54:29 GMT -5
maybe ''mash'', meal might imply the whole seed...
Telsing, there are 3 different camelinas involved in our fields. sativa is not the most common I think. I don't know about the edibility of the others.
It is of interest to note that camelina is an ''ancient'' crop that was forgotten. I am amazed that it is creating such a buzz without anybody here seemingly having noticed before or talk about it.
A good explanation could be that most of that buzz is around biofuel or pharmaceutical uses.
But it is obvious that given its great potential uses in organic farming/food production, we should look at it much more here.
I would welcome Doc. Kapuler insight on it. As a molecular biologist, I am sure he can enlighten us on the oil and seeds as a food source, either for us or our animals.
I have a dairy producer friend of mine coming here tonight, Guess what is one of the things on the agenda.
This is all new to me, but if somebody here thinks I will let pass the chance to grow a ''weed'' that is so wonderful without trying to do something, about it, that person does not know me much...
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Post by canadamike on Mar 11, 2009 22:11:32 GMT -5
I just went through many papers on camelina, including the Montana U research that produced 3 cultivars. This is definitely a crop only being only slightly developped. The 3 cultivars come from simple selections of augmented lots of Grin-USA accessions, all, including ''Blaine creek'' which might be the one for my farm, are from accessions I had pre-selected last night . I also had selected 3-4 others. I did not order yet, trying to find a source for more advanced or selected cultivars, but it is definitely a crop that still offers lots of room for improvement/research. But honestly, the more I read on it the more I think this is a crop for a lot of folks here. Tomorrow I'll order some culinary oil, both distilled and unrefined and I'll provide you with a salad bar report ;D and a stir fry one.... let's just say I'll make sure egg laying chickens are fed the stuff too in a not so far future for some omega-3 eggs from the farm... The chickens tend to dislike flax... How come we never discussed it  Now, I suspect the plants are outbreeders, but does anybody really knows??? |
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Post by bunkie on Mar 12, 2009 9:24:58 GMT -5
i see it's also called 'False Flax'. i have read that flax seed oil can do some harm to the thyroid in some humans, not sure about animals. i wonder how many 'flax' qualities there are in Camelina?
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Post by ottawagardener on Mar 12, 2009 11:53:59 GMT -5
As it's a brassica, I would assume that it would have qualities most similar to the mustards that it seems (to my untrained eyes) to resemble. I didn't know that flax oil caused harm to human thyroids. I take it in large amounts? I'll have to go look that up. Thanks Bunkie.
Yes, I saw that too Michel. I looked up the whole latin name and that's where the info comes from so if they are referring to a sub-species then ?? but otherwise, it's Camelina Sativa that they were referring to. They did say it was less common.
Looking forward to the culinary report!
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Post by raymondo on Mar 12, 2009 15:58:09 GMT -5
Michel, do you know if any of the cultivars have been selected for zero erucic acid? Just curious is all. They're growing the crop here in Australia as an oil seed crop. I don't know how much breeding work has been done here though. I suspect they just got seeds from either USDA or the U of Montana or some such place. You've got me thinking about it now!
Edit: Just looked it up here. The Australians got their seeds from The Vavilov Institute in St Petersburg in Russia.
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Post by canadamike on Mar 13, 2009 22:07:14 GMT -5
I am trying to access the research done in Montana I had saved, and just can't. And I can't see the page either. If someone finds it, I would appreciate if they could pm me the link. When I go to my favorites, under camelina reseach where I ''stored'' all my links, there is another icon under it. I only see it when I add something. When I try to bring it back, it is not there And I google the same things than the other day and don't get all the same pages... Ray, I can say for sure that at least it is low. In the charts of the different oil contents, look for the one ''named'' 22:1 It can be folloowed by a small weird ''w'' that I can't find on my keybord and the number 9, as it is an omega-9 oil. Something like 22:1 w9. That's our erucic acid... Now, back to trying to find and access the Montana research... |
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Post by canadamike on Mar 13, 2009 22:19:50 GMT -5
Exerpt:
Research shows the low agronomic input costs associated with camelina and its ability to grow on marginal land utilizing very little moisture make it unique in the field of alternative energy feedstocks. Camelina fits into many farming operations because it is an excellent rotational crop, is drought and frost tolerant, and requires minimal inputs.
Erucic acid content is 2.8%, average. But some cultivars have less, if i can only find the research...
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Post by stevil on Mar 14, 2009 14:56:49 GMT -5
Can't really add anything here as, although I've grown it at least once in 2003, I don't seem to have noted any experiences which probably means it didn't do very well. It's never really established as a wild plant here in Norway. [a href="  "] [/a] |
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Post by Walk on Jul 28, 2013 15:35:30 GMT -5
Is anyone currently growing Camelina sativa? Anything new to report since this post in 2009? Where to get seed?
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