Opportunities for Camelina Meal as a Livestock Feed Ingredient

Camelina sativa is an annual oilseed crop that requires low inputs. Recently, interest in camelina oil for both human use and biofuel production has increased. Camelina oil extraction is performed through two main methods, namely, mechanical expulsion and solvent extraction. The resulting meals from the oil extraction process show promise as an animal feed due to their high crude protein content. Solvent extraction removes more oil from the seed, which results in a meal that is lower in fat and higher in crude protein concentration than expelled meal (3.52 vs. 13.69% and 41.04 vs. 34.65%, respectively). Solvent-extracted camelina meal has a similar chemical composition to canola meal but less crude protein and more fiber than soybean meal. Camelina meal is also limited by its anti-nutritional factors, mainly glucosinolates. Camelina meal contains 23.10 to 44.90 mmol/kg of glucosinolates, but processing methods may be able to decrease the total glucosinolates. Heat-treating the camelina meal can decrease glucosinolates and remove residual solvent in the solvent-extracted meal. The fungal fermentation of canola meal has also decreased glucosinolates, which could be used in camelina meal as well. The selective breeding of camelina varieties to decrease glucosinolates in the plant is also a solution to the high glucosinolates found in camelina meal. Current feed regulations in the US and Canada limit camelina meal to 10% inclusion in broiler chicken, laying hen, and cattle diets.