The evaluation of cool-season oilseed crops for yield and adaptation in texas: an approach for selection of efficient biofuel feedstock

Abstract Expansion of the biofuel industry will require identification of suitable feedstock for particular geographic regions and optimization of production capacity by enhancing research-based management practices. To identify potential biofuel feedstocks, numerous cool-season oil-seed crops were evaluated for their yield potential and quality in Texas; forty-five genotypes of four winter and spring-type oilseed crops were evaluated at nine Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Centers across the state. All trials were evaluated under low input rain-fed conditions. Spring rapeseed and safflower were the highest yielding crops with yields reaching 1372 kg ha-1 and 1240 kg ha-1, respectively. The oil content of safflower was lower than all other evaluated crop species. In South and Central Texas, fall seeded flax yields averaged 1075 kg ha-1 with an average oil concentration of 38.3 % (w/w); however, flax yields were low at all North Texas locations. Camelina yields, 473 kg ha-1, were lower than other evaluated crops, especially in South and Central Texas. Several cool-season oil-seed crops would be considered economically competitive with other winter grown small grain crops in Texas.