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Economic Comparison of Spring Canola and Camelina Production

Economic Comparison of Spring Canola and Camelina Production. Kathleen Painter and Stephen Guy University of Idaho & Washington State University. Commodity Prices Return to Long-Run Averages. Slimmer Margins require sharper pencils! .

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Economic Comparison of Spring Canola and Camelina Production

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  1. Economic Comparison of Spring Canola and Camelina Production Kathleen Painter and Stephen Guy University of Idaho & Washington State University

  2. Commodity Prices Return to Long-Run Averages

  3. Slimmer Margins require sharper pencils! • Unprofitable rotational crops pull down overall profitability • However, rotations are critical to maintaining resilient, healthy crops • Diversify your cropping systems in order to spread risk • Right now, grain prices are low but dry peas, lentils, and canola prices are well above long-run averages

  4. Camelina:A Cold-Tolerant Oilseed

  5. Summary of Returns by Crop For >18” Rainfall ($/acre): Conv Till

  6. Summary of Returns by Crop For >18” Rainfall ($/acre): No-Till

  7. Summary of Returns by Crop For < 18” Rainfall, Conv. Till ($/acre)

  8. Camelina Grower Yield Expectations • Annual cropping area, >18” ppt per year • 1800 lb per acre • Intermediate cropping zone, 16” rainfall • 1400 – 1500 lb per acre • Low rainfall zone, 14” rainfall • 1200 lb per acre

  9. Camelina Production • Early-seeded crop • Can be drilled or broadcast seeded • Valmar applicator can be used to broadcast seed and fertilizer • Low input costs • $15 per acre for seed • 50 lb N, 10 lb S is typical (less than $40/ac) • $16 per acre for Poast plus COC • Few pest problems • Rotational crop for grains in areas with few alternatives

  10. Operations for Direct Seed or Broadcast Planting of Camelina • March • Spray weeds (e.g. Roundup) • Mid-March to early April • 4-5 lb camelina • 50 lb N, 10 lb S typical fertilizer application • Use broadcast spreader such as a Valmar applicator or a direct seed drill • May • Poast herbicide @1.5pt plus 2 pt COC ($16/ac) • August • Direct combine (shattering not a problem)

  11. Operations for Conventional Tillage Camelina Production • October • Heavy harrow • March • Cultivate with harrow • Chisel/harrow/fertilize with ripper shooter • 50 lb N, 10 lb S typical fertilizer application • Mid-March to early April • Cultivate • Drill 4-5 lb camelina seed per acre • May • Apply Poast herbicide @1.5pt plus 2 pt COC ($16/ac) • August • Direct combine (shattering not a problem)

  12. Costs By Non-Grain Alternative Crops:Conventional Tillage

  13. Non-Grain Alternative Crops:Revenue, Costs, & Net Returns

  14. Cook Farm No-Till Trials

  15. Roundup Ready Canola Loses Least…

  16. Roundup Ready No-Till Canola Yields By Gridpoint & Year lb per acre Mean: 2011 lb/ac Standard Deviation: 754 lb/ac

  17. Cook Farm: Effect of Alternative Crop Selection on Winter Wheat Yields Years:

  18. Roundup Ready Canola is Economically Competitive with Alternative Crops • Reduces herbicide costs & weed pressure • Prices were very strong earlier this year • Prices are recovering from a large decline last fall

  19. Camelina & Canola as Alternative Crops for Dryland Cropping Systems • Camelina yields are generally less volatile than canola yields • Input costs are lower for camelina • Few insect pests • Lower fertility requirements • With contracts prices of $0.18 per lb, net returns were higher than for grains in the intermediate cropping zone • Rotation may need to flex to accommodate rainfall • Winter wheat/spring grain/camelina/(fallow) OR • Winter wheat/camelina/fallow

  20. Limited Research on Camelina in U.S. • Camelina results are based on just a few years of research and growers’ experiences in this country • Estimates of production levels and input usage will be further refined as more information becomes available

  21. Resources • EM 8953-E Camelinaby Ehrensing and Guy, January 2008, Oregon State University • http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog • Great Plains Oil Co. website: www.camelinacompany.com • Canola price data: Northern Canola Growers’ Assoc. www.northerncanola.com Budgets: http://csanr.wsu.edu/Publications/FarmMgmtEconomics.htm

  22. Contact Information: Kate Painter, PhD Ag Economics Analyst UI AERS Moscow ID 83843-2334 Office: (208) 885-6041 Cell: (509) 432-5755 kpainter@uidaho.edu

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