Camelina water use and seed yield response to irrigation scheduling in an arid environment

Abstract

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is a promising, biodiesel-producing oilseed that could potentially be implemented as a low-input alternative crop for production in the arid southwestern USA. However, little is known about camelina's water use, irrigation management, and agronomic characteristics in this arid environment. Camelina experiments were conducted for 2 years (January to May in 2008 and 2010) in Maricopa, Arizona, to evaluate the effectiveness of previously developed heat unit and remote sensing basal crop coefficient (K cb ) methods for predicting camelina crop evapotranspiration (ET) and irrigation scheduling. Besides K cb methods, additional treatment factors included two different irrigation scheduling soil water depletion (SWD) levels (45 and 65 %) and two levels of seasonal N applications within a randomized complete block design with 4 blocks. Soil water content measurements taken in all treatment plots and applied in soil water balance calculations were used to evaluate the predicted ET. The heat-unit K cb method was updated and validated during the second experiment to predict ET to within 12-13 % of the ET calculated by the soil water balance. The remote sensing K cb method predicted ET within 7-10 % of the soil water balance. Seasonal ET from the soil water balance was significantly greater for the remote sensing than heat-unit K cb method and significantly greater for the 45 than 65 % SWD level. However, final seed yield means, which varied from 1,500 to 1,640 kg ha -1 for treatments, were not significantly different between treatments or years. Seed oil contents averaged 45 % in both years. Seed yield was found to be linearly related to seasonal ET with maximum yield occurring at about 470-490 mm of seasonal ET. Differences in camelina seed yields due to seasonal N applications (69-144 kg N ha -1 over the 2 years) were not significant. Further investigations are needed to characterize camelina yield response over a wider range of irrigation and N inputs.

Nitrogen Fertilizer and Irrigation Effects on Seed Yield and Oil in Camelina

“…Water use efficiencies observed here under a large number of overhead sprinkler irrigation levels had a wider range than those reported by Hunsaker et al (2013) with surface irrigation. Maximum WUE with overhead sprinkler (0.54-0.65 kg m -3 ) was higher than the 0.35 kg m -3 under surface irrigation.…”

“…Scheduling of irrigations were linked to evapotranspiration (ET c ) estimates, calculated daily with FAO-56 dual crop coefficients (Allen et al, 1998;Mon et al, 2016). Seasonal basal crop coefficients (K cb ) used were from an empirically derived function based on camelina crop coefficient data obtained in prior field studies at this site (Hunsaker et al, 2013). A daily soil water balance estimated depletion of water in the camelina soil root zone, using irrigation and rainfall data.…”

Five-Year Field Trial of Eight Camelina sativa Cultivars for Biomass to be Used in Biofuel under Irrigated Conditions in a Semi-Arid Climate

“…The range of C. sativa seed oil content observed in this study was within the range reported in the previous literature [12,[23][24][25]27,29,32,35,37], but it was lower than the C. sativa seed oil content reported by McVay and Khan [31]. The lower C. sativa oil content reported in our study was most likely due to water deficit, which was consistent with the observations made by other studies [18,35,37,56]. The results from this study suggest that Columbia, Blaine Creek, Suneson and Ligena might perform well, under drier conditions; however, this study also points to the need for improving the oil content in available C. sativa cultivars.…”

“…Although a legume, alfalfa removes large amounts of minerals from the soil, and might require significant fertilizer inputs for optimum yield [17]. In contrast, C. sativa is highly adaptable and can be grown in arid and semi-arid areas in the Western and Southwestern United States [18] and on marginal, low-fertility, and saline soils [19]. C. sativa is cold-tolerant and capable of surviving late-spring freezes [10] making it suitable as an oilseed crop in Northern Nevada where such freezes can occur.…”

Cotton Irrigation Scheduling Using a Crop Growth Model and FAO-56 Methods: Field and Simulation Studies

“…By using ET o or ET r with the FAO-56 dual K c approach, soil water evaporation and plant transpiration can be independently estimated on a daily basis, and a simple daily soil water balance computation enables calculations of water stress effects on ET in water-limited conditions. In central Arizona, research at the Maricopa Agricultural Center (MAC) has developed FAO-56 approaches for irrigation management in alfalfa (Medicago sativa (L.) Lew; Hunsaker et al, 2002), camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz; Hunsaker et al, 2013), upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.; Hunsaker et al, 2005aHunsaker et al, , 2015, guayule (Parthenium argentatum (A.) Gray; Hunsaker and Elshikha, 2017), and wheat (Triticum aestivium L.; Hunsaker et al, 2005bHunsaker et al, , 2007aHunsaker et al, , 2007b.…”