Cash in on Winter Crops

Winter oilseeds may soon offer farmers a whole new income stream. Research and development of several species is underway, offering cash crops with sustainability-focused benefits. 

Camelina, pennycress, and winter canola — all part of the Brassicaceae family — produce seeds containing 30% to 40% oil and high-protein meal, making them potential solutions for biofuels’ increasing demand and animal feed to boot. 

Planted between crop rotations, and in the same time frame as traditional cover crops, winter oilseeds can provide the same benefits. For example, having plants in the ground throughout winter can prevent soil erosion and nutrient loss. Also, an established crop between rotations can break pest and weed cycles, and increase carbon sequestration. Beyond soil health, there are other environmental benefits to consider. 

“The environment is being degraded by nutrients flowing into streams and contaminating the water,” says John Sedbrook, a genetics professor at Illinois State University and pennycress researcher. “In Bloomington, Illinois, we get our water from two lakes north of town, and it’s a constant issue keeping [drinking water] below the legal nitrate levels.” 

Sedbrook sums up winter oilseeds’ benefits simply: “Not only can you make money,” he says, “but it’s good for the environment.”

Introducing winter oilseeds

Camelina

Native to Europe and Central Asia, this short-season crop requires as little as 11 inches of rain. Traditionally grown in the northwest U.S. in rotation with other short-season crops, camelina can be used to intensify wheat-fallow rotations. 

Moving south into Kansas and Colorado, it’s the front end of the double crop, says Mike Karst, president of Sustainable Oils, a camelina developer. “Farmers plant it in November, harvest it in June, and then they’re going to follow with what they would normally be planting anyway,” he says. “That would be sorghum, or, if they have irrigation, soybeans.”

Pennycress

Breeding and gene editing have developed this common annual winter weed into a harvestable crop for the central U.S. Its short life cycle, considerable cold tolerance, and prolific seed production allow it to be economical when planted between corn and soybeans. 

In 2022, Bayer announced it was acquiring a majority share in CoverCress Inc., a leading domesticated pennycress producer. The initial partnership, which also includes Bunge and Chevron, plans to focus on Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. 

“With CoverCress, farmers get all of the ecosystem benefits of the crop covering the ground,” says Kara Isaak, Bayer’s global biofuel strategy lead. “They’re also able to harvest it and position that as oil into the renewable fuel space.”

Winter canola

Winter canola is a well-established crop in Europe. With less cold tolerance than its counterparts, it is best suited for the southern U.S. Announced in 2023, a commercial collaboration between Corteva, Bunge, and Chevron aims to introduce winter canola and significantly expand its availability. 

“It’s rare that you can bring a new cropping system to the grower that has the research and production side and the boots on the ground from Corteva along with the logistics provider crusher part of it, which is Bunge, and then the actual end user to make it into a viable product, like renewable diesel or biodiesel from Chevron,” says Chad Berghoefer, the global product director for biofuels for Corteva.

Developing the market

A new crop is worthwhile only if a market wants it. Demand for renewable fuels is outpacing supply, offering farmers exciting opportunities. 

Notably, Bunge and Chevron have shown interest in developing markets for winter oilseeds. In 2024, the joint venture between the companies, known as Bunge Chevron Ag Renewable, announced plans to build an oilseed processing facility adjacent to its existing facility in Destrehan, Louisiana. With the goal of being operational in 2026, the plant will provide the flexibility to process soybeans and novel winter oilseed crops such as camelina, winter canola, and pennycress. 

Farmers producing winter canola in the Mid-South are offered convenient delivery locations to transport their grains and Bunge will tap into its global network for processing until the new Louisiana facility is functional.

“Having greater ability to process softseeds, including novel winter oilseed crops, will help advance our innovation in the feedstock space and meet the growing demand for renewable fuels,” Stacey Orlandi, president for Chevron Renewable Energy Group, said in a news release. “Investments like this one help support farmers and consumers while reducing the life cycle carbon intensity for transportation fuels.”

Environmental concerns are largely driving renewable energy’s expanding demand, particularly climate change and dealing with the greenhouse gases emitted from burning fossil fuels, Sedbrook of Illinois State says. “An overwhelming amount of scientific evidence shows that climate change is real and caused by human activities, and we need to get emissions under control,” he says. 

Sustainable aviation fuel is a key area for new markets. Sedbrook says 15 billion gallons of jet fuel are burned each year in the U.S. alone. “You can’t run jet planes on batteries, so farmers can feel comfortable that the market for liquid fuels will be there for quite some time,” he says. 

As markets develop, farmers are being offered acre-based contracts, removing the risk of volume commitments.

Introducing oilseeds into a rotation

With the right management, all three winter oilseed options should seamlessly fit into a set rotation plan. In most cases, existing equipment is sufficient, although some modifications may be needed.

Planting considerations

Planting of winter oilseed crops should occur between mid-August and mid-October, although ideal timing can vary for specific crops and regions. Plants should have enough time to establish before the first frost.

Winter oilseed seeds are very small, which can make them hard to find in the soil after planting. Some “old school” calculations, based on seed weight before and after a planting pass, may be necessary when dialing in planting rates, Corteva’s Berghoefer says. 

Some light tillage can also help plants establish before the first frost sets in.

In-season considerations

All three winter oilseeds grow as rosettes in fall and overwinter as leaves on the surface. Because these crops are grown throughout the winter, weed, disease, and pest pressure are often minimal. 

The plants start to flower as temperatures rise and daylight hours lengthen in early spring. The life cycle of winter oilseed crops resembles those of traditional crops, just in a different part of the year. 

The period from flowering onset, to pod, to harvest-ready is the same as for traditional crops, “but you’re not competing with all of those spring weeds,” Bayer’s Isaak says. “In certain areas and geographies, that’s really important.”

Some in-season fertilizer or fungicide may be necessary. Consult with your respective program’s agronomy team for best practices.

Harvest considerations

Most winter oilseeds are harvested between May and July, although ideal moisture content and timing can vary. 

Because winter oilseeds are so small — about 2 millimeters — pay special attention to ensure the combine is properly sealed. An added cross auger also can help direct the seeds to the right place.

“It can be like harvesting sand at times,” describes Kyle Holmberg, a Pioneer field agronomist working on winter canola. “So we want you to seal up the combine the best you can to minimize loss.” 

Although winter oilseeds derive from weed species, control issues during summer crop rotations are not anticipated. For example, many farmers do not consider pennycress a problem weed. 

“Pennycress is a cool-season crop, and when it gets above 90°F, it becomes sterile,” Sedbrook says. “It really is not a problem in the summertime.”

Herbicides can easily control breakthrough plants. Gene editing has also reduced the persistence of seeds in the soil. 

A farmer’s perspective

During the 2023–2024 season, about 5,000 acres of Pioneer brand winter canola were planted in the Mid-South. Yields from farms in the commercial pilot exceeded expectations, with an average yield of 54 bushels per acre. In 2023, Brandon Whitt, an eighth-generation farmer based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, planted six acres of Corteva’s winter canola in a field traditionally housing you-pick strawberries. 

“For our crop rotation we needed this site to go away from strawberry production,” Whitt says. “And we wanted to put the winter canola in an area that the general public could see and ask questions, so that we could start those local conversations about what canola is. Most of our consumers don’t even realize that they’re using canola oil. They just buy oil from the grocery store.” 

The strawberries had been planted in hilled rows, so deeper tillage prior to planting was necessary. Whitt used a rotary tiller and cultipacker to prepare the field, and a 30-foot mechanical box drill for planting.

Because of the ground’s softness, the soil held a lot of moisture, Whitt says, making it harder to get into the field for over-the-top nitrogen applications. “That [type of tillage] is not typically a practice that I think we would do to plant canola,” Whitt says, “but it was a good experiment to see how well the soil would drain.”

Whitt says most of the management fell in line with his wheat and barley, simplifying fungicide and nitrogen applications. 

Whitt remains positive about the prospect for winter oilseeds. 

“Agriculture is the backbone of this country, and we always find a way to evolve and to make our American lives better,” he says. “I think this is right up there with some of the best projects to be investing in and to be moving forward with to make a better tomorrow.”