Camelina As a Replacement for Fallow in Wheat-Fallow Rotation.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the most important food crops and a key component of food security in the world. Due to water limitations, winter wheat-fallow is the predominant dryland crop production system in the semi-arid Great Plains. Economic benefits of this cropping system, however, are relatively low. This raises the need to replace the fallow period of the cycle with another crop that will increase the farmers’ economic return and have minimum negative impact on wheat production. An alternative crop with potential for fallow replacement in dryland cropping systems is camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz). Camelina is well adapted to the conditions of the Great Plains; it has a short growing season (85-100 days), it is drought-tolerant, compatible with existing farm equipment, and is able to do well on marginal lands.  Replacing fallow with a biofuel feedstock like camelina has the potential to diversify cereal-based crop production systems in the Great Plains, which could also broaden herbicide options for weed control, and break up pest and disease cycle. Dryland cropping systems research under minimum tillage practice was conducted in Sheridan, WY to evaluate water use of camelina and its impact on wheat productivity when the fallow period in winter wheat-fallow rotation is replaced with camelina. Average seed yield and residue biomass were 1057 and 3986 kg ha^-1 respectively, for camelina; and, 4124 and 8363 kg ha^-1 respectively, for wheat. In general, moisture depletion of camelina was primarily within the 20-40 cm soil depth, whereas that of wheat was within the 60-100 cm soil depth. Based on our study, camelina hold promise as a fallow replacement crop in dryland cereal-based systems but grower adoption will depend on camelina market prices.