Camelina: Selecting a plot for the summer catch crop

The first criterion is to choose a crop that is harvested early, allowing camelina to be planted between June 20 and July 10, to ensure harvest before the end of October. The main candidate crops are therefore winter peas or winter barley, but other early-harvested crops may also be suitable: dry peas, garlic, onions…

The map below, which shows the maturity date for very short-cycle varieties based on different emergence dates, illustrates the importance of early sowing. For example, for a July 1 emergence, camelina reaches maturity before October 10 throughout France, whereas for a July 8 emergence, it reaches maturity after October 10 in northern France, and for a July 15 emergence, it reaches maturity after October 20 in nearly half of northern France.
 

Planting camelina after a legume (such as winter peas) is particularly beneficial because it allows farmers to limit or even eliminate the need for nitrogen fertilization, thereby reducing the operational costs of the crop rotation system.

Camelina grown as a summer catch crop is susceptible to the residual effects of certain herbicides, primarily those in Group 2 (ALS¹ inhibitors), including sulfonylurea herbicides such as metsulfuron, mesosulfuron, etc., as well as imazamox (applied to winter peas). It also appears to be sensitive to Group 14 herbicides (PPO² inhibitors such as bifenox) and those in Group 32 (solanacyl diphosphate synthase inhibitors, such as aclonifen, applied to winter peas).

There is therefore a risk of phytotoxicity (leaf discoloration, plant loss, etc.) for camelina when these herbicides are applied in the spring to the main crop; this risk is even greater under dry conditions, in cases of late application, and when there is little or no tillage between the harvest of the main crop and the planting of camelina. Nevertheless, the effects of these herbicides can vary depending on various factors (precipitation, soil type, tillage, application date and rate, etc.) and remain poorly understood and quantified today.
 

Once well-established, camelina is a crop that competes effectively with weeds. Nevertheless, in the field, weed pressure remains one of the main limiting factors for camelina grown as a summer catch crop; it is therefore essential to utilize every possible strategy to manage weeds effectively.

It is recommended to select a weed-free plot at the time of sowing. If weeds are present at the time of the main crop harvest and direct seeding is desired, a glyphosate application may be useful for managing weeds prior to sowing.

¹ALS: acetolactate synthase
²PPO: protoporphyrinogen oxidase