By now, most people working in agriculture have heard that growing a cover crop after a cash crop is harvested can make a big difference in soil health. Healthy soil pays off in a number of ways, including reduced input costs and increased operational resilience, but farmers have to get creative if they want their cover crops to make direct contributions to the bottom line.
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Winter camelina provides excellent forage for pollinators.
USDA-ARS photo
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The winter camelina in this field trial is drying down prior to harvest.
USDA-ARS photo
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Soybeans can be relay cropped with winter camelina so that both can be harvested in the same year.
Photo provided by Anna Teeter at Cargill
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Winter camelina in bloom.
USDA-ARS photo
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Camelina produces a very small seed which necessitates some combine modifications to ensure an efficient harvest.
Photo provided by Anna Teeter at Cargill
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