Energy efficiency of spring camelina production under an organic system in sole-cropping and intercropping cultivation

Abstract

Camelina and spelt are crop species enjoying a renaissance in recent years. This three-year study (2022–2024) conducted in north-eastern Poland aimed to determine the energy inputs, the amount of accumulated energy, and the energy efficiency of the production of seed and straw of spring camelina and spring spelt cultivated under an organic system in sole-cropping and intercropping. In the energy inputs, direct energy carriers, exploitation of fixed assets, consumption of materials and human labor are considered. Total energy inputs for the production of sole-cropped camelina amounted to an average of 10.60 GJ ha^–1. In comparison, the energy inputs for spelt were 15.3 % higher, while camelina intercropped with spelt had energy inputs that were 30.4 % higher than those of sole-cropped camelina. The total biomass energy value (seeds and straw) for spelt (an average of 103.85 GJ ha^–1) was 9 % higher than the average value of this characteristic for sole-cropped camelina, and for camelina intercropped with spelt (an average of 95 GJ ha^–1). The total energy ratio values for sole-cropped camelina averaged 8.98, whereas sole-cropped spelt and camelina intercropped with spelt were 5.5 % and 22.2 % lower, respectively. Camelina cultivated under an organic system proved to be an interesting species in terms of energy efficiency indices for both sole-cropping and intercropping, although spelt had an advantage over camelina in intercropping.