PRODUCTIVITY OF
‘CRAMBE ABYSSINICA’ IN A SUMMERDRY REGION
OF SOUTHWEST-GERMANY AND NORTHEAST-FRANCE
R. VETTER and J. MAIER
KEYWORDS
Crambe abyssinica; oil seed; summerdry climate; yield; oil
quality.
METHODS
Crambe was tested in a low-precipitation area, in the Upper Rhine Valley of Baden-Württemberg and Alsace. The region shows an average precipitation of 650 - 750 mm per year (ø 300 mm May - August) and a high temperature means between 9,5 and 9,7°C. During a period of three years 6 varieties were drilled in split plot trials between March, 7 and April, 27 (in one case May, 11), seed was 80 (1994) and 120 grains per sq. m (1995 - 1996). Amount of nitrogen fertilizer varied between 30 and 80 kg per hectar. In 1995, in only one case, a herbicide (Butisan S = Metazachlor) and in 1996 an insecticide (Decis = Deltamethrin) against altise were applied.
RESULTS
The results of the five varieties tested in 1996 are comparable to those gained for a Dutch and a ‘German’ variety in 1994 and 1995. The lower yield of CEB 9404-CR was caused by fungi, probably
| Varieties | 1996 |
CEB 9402-CR |
CEB 9404-CR |
CPRO-9103-16 |
CPRO-9110-20 |
Mario |
Ø |
|||
| Site | A |
E |
A |
E |
A |
A |
A |
|||
| Yield * | dt/ha |
19,84 |
19,03 |
10,11 |
14,82 |
23,20 |
20,84 |
21,72 |
18,51 |
|
| Oil content | % (ADM) |
37,9 |
37,7 |
37,6 |
38,3 |
35,1 |
38,9 |
33,6 |
37,0 |
|
| Oil yield | dt/ha |
7,52 |
7,17 |
3,80 |
5,68 |
8,14 |
8,11 |
7,30 |
6,82 |
|
| Erucic acid % | 59,9 | 58,8 |
59,9 |
57,9 |
61,3 |
61,6 |
59,4 |
59,8 |
||
* purified seeds
fusarium. Under the above-mentioned climatic conditions a yield of about 20 dt/ha should be possible. Given an average oil content of 37% an oil yield of 7 dt/ha is attainable. The content of erucic acid reaches about 60%. All varieties and sites prove high stability of results during the whole three-year period.