b"Keep an Eye on Carinata Carbon-saving cover crop kicks off second season.Melissa ShipmanTHERES A NEWbiofuel from the farm, and its off to aCarinata has a high oil content, ranging from 40% to 46%, flying start.as well as a high erucic acid content, typically ranging between Brassica carinata, also known as Ethiopian mustard, has been40% and 44%.researched for its cover crop soil benefits over the past decadeErucic acid is a very-long-chain mono-unsaturated fatty acid in the Southeast U.S., and its harvested oilseed is taking off aswith 22 carbon atoms giving carinata its distinctive composition, a low-carbon feedstock capable of helping replace petroleumSeepaul explains. This high proportion of very long-chain fatty fuels to reduce emissions. acids relative to shorter or saturated ones makes carinata oil excep-It is a practical opportunity for growers to be rewarded ortionally well-suited for various biofuel conversion technologies.financially incentivized for regenerating soil, protecting nature,Carinata also has a high energy potential and a higher adopting sustainable practices and helping reduce, remove andmolecular weight compared to oils like soybean or canola, which restore carbon to mitigate climate change, says Graham Collier,results in a higher yield of hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals Nuseed Carinata global lead of product success. during biofuel production. However, Collier says its not necessar-ily in competition with the other crops as scientists are currently Compared to Canolaresearching carinata as a cover crop in this region.Carinata is related to canola or rapeseed, but it achieved a higher seed yield than canola in north-Florida field studies.Cover Crop OpportunitiesCarinata's outstanding performance was evident in repli- Despite many agronomic benefits, only about 8% of agricultural cated yield trials in the region, where it achieved seed productionlands are currently planted in cover crops over the winter in of 2,500 pounds per acre, outperforming canola at 1,300 poundsFlorida.per acre, and camelina at 850 pounds per acre, says RamdeoIn our environment, we don't typically get any money back Seepaul, University of Florida research assistant scientist, citingon the seed investment for a cover crop, says De Broughton, research published by George et al. in 2021. a crop consultant with 6 Gen Ag Services and a field agent for Nuseed.That said, theres no question that coastal plain soils in particular, which often have very limited organic matter, would benefit from cover cropping.Carinata hybrids flourish to protect and improve soil between main crop rotations in Florida.PHOTO: NUSEED54/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2023"