NOTE: RAPE SEED OIL FOR TRANSPORT 3 - ORGANIC RAPE CULTIVATION IS REALITY

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NOTE: RAPE SEED OIL FOR TRANSPORT 3:
ORGANIC RAPE CULTIVATION IS REALITY
Jacob Bugge, 9/11 2000. Translated August 2001.

There is a limited but increasing production of organic winter rape. In the fall 2000, more than 1000 ha have been sown with this crop. This is more than a quadruplication in two years, obtained in spite of a general decline in the conversion into organic agriculture. There is a cultivation guide for organic winter rape, and research projects, pilot planting schemes, and demonstration projects, are carried out to optimise the results and make the prospects of organic winter rape known; this is done in a cooperation between the Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre, the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, and DLG organic.

According to agricultural experts, organic winter rape is a realistic alternative to other organic sales crops. With an appropriate cultivation, including correct fitting into the crop rotation, it is possible to obtain a relative yield level compared to conventional cultivation which corresponds to the yield level of other organic crops. In contrast to spring rape which is seen as a problematic crop in organic agriculture, winter rape can even contribute to the solution of problems with the cultivation of other crops.

Winter rape is considered an interesting crop in organic agriculture because the rape seeds yield both oil and fodder cakes. The latter can replace imported fodder cakes, typically based on soy. The requirement that the organic share of the fodder shall be increased to 100% by 2005, along with the ban on GMO (gene modified organisms), will increase the need for Danish grown organic fodder in the years to come. The oil is excellent for food, and for energy purposes it is in a class of its own, because it can be used as a harmless and environmentally friendly engine fuel as a substitute for diesel.

Erroneous information outside the agricultural industry has led to the misinterpretation of rape as a crop with special environmental impact, only successful with heavy use of industrial fertilizers and pesticides. This misunderstanding has had a strong influence on the public debate and the political decision process concerning the use of renewable energy in the transport sector, especially the use of rape seed oil as substitute for diesel.

The future potential for organic winter rape depends first of all on the rate of conversion from conventional to organic agriculture in the years to come. Any Danish production of organic rape seed oil will contribute to the supply of rape seed oil for transport purposes, either directly as non-food oil or indirectly by replacement of conventional rape seed oil for food.

1. BACKGROUND:
At Folkecenter we have worked with cold pressed plant oils for years, especially for use in modified diesel engines as substitute for fossil diesel. Information on this work is available at the homepage www.folkecenter.dk.

The obvious crop under Danish conditions is rape seed which yields 2/3 fodder cakes and 1/3 oil. It is well known that the oil is harmless (edible), and thereofre it can be handled with no hazards to health, groundwater, and environment. The production takes place with a simple press which is available even in small sizes to be installed at the individual farm. Thereofre the technology is perfectly suitable for decentralised production and distribution.

We believe that the combination of fodder cakes and oil makes rape an attractive crop, also to Danish organic agriculture.

In this connexion it would be obvious and right if organic rape seed oil as reform crop (crop with EU support) is first and foremost used for food.

The value of the parallel fodder cake production may render it attractive to extend the production to include organic rape seed oil for technical uses, among them engine fuel [1], [2], [3], [4]. This can take place through non-food production as alternative to fallow, as is known from conventional agriculture.

In any case, any Danish production of organic rape seed oil will contribute to the supply of rape seed oil for transport purposes, either directly as non-food oil or indirectly through replacement of conventional rape seed oil for food [1].

1.1. AGRICULTURE AND ENERGY:
From a general consideration of sustainability, it would be natural to run agriculture, and especially organic agriculture, without a resulting use of energy, i.e. with a positive energy balance.

However, presently the agricultural industry has a negative energy balance with a gross energy consumption which is more than twice the existing energy production from agricultural biomass; especially there is no energy production to outbalance the agricultural diesel consumption [1].

In this connexion, rape is a very interesting crop which even has a strongly positive energy balance in itself [2].

1.2. FODDER VALUE AND ENERGY CONTENT:
There is a considerable fodder value and energy content in rape cakes from cold pressing of rape seed oil [8]:

*: FU denotes fodder unit and expresses obtainable energy in the fodder. Originally defined by the fodder value of 1 kg barley. With the current value, 1 kg barley contains 0,95 FU.

Contents of rape cakes from cold pressing of rape seed oil			Energy MJ/kg rape cake
Kind	% of solids	Energy, MJ/kg	Energy MJ/kg rape cake
Protein	33.7	23.9	8.05
Fat	14.6	39.8	5.81
Hydrocarbons	44.6	17.6	7.85
Total in solids	92.9		21.71
Total at 89% solids			19.32

It is well known that cold pressed rape seed oil is a valuable food oil with a high energy content. Actually it is about twice as high as for rape cakes, with med 37 MJ/kg corresponding to 34,1 MJ/l [2].

Used for energy purposes instead of ploughing in, rape straw has an energy content of 14,5 MJ/kg [2].

2. ORGANIC RAPE CULTIVATION:
Until recently, many organic farmers have considered rape a difficult crop with highly uncertain yield and problems with spilled seeds which have made rape a troublesome weed in the following crops.

As it appears from the following, it is chiefly bad experiences with organic spring rape which have led to the notion that rape is a problematic crop in organic agriculture.

Erroneous information outside the agricultural industry has led to the misinterpretation of rape as a crop with special environmental impact, only successful with heavy use of industrial fertilizers and pesticides [5], [6]. This misunderstanding has had a strong influence on the public debate and the political decision process concerning the use of renewable energy in the transport sector, especially the use of rape seed oil as substitute for diesel [7].

The reality is that organic rape is a crop in progress; a crop which is expected to find a natural place in future organic agriculture.

Winter rape is considered an interesting crop in organic agriculture, especially because the rape seeds yield both oil and fodder cakes. The latter can replace imported fodder cakes, typically based on soy.

The requirement that the organic share of the fodder shall be increased to 100% by 2005, along with the ban on GMO (gene modified organisms), will increase the need for Danish grown organic fodder in the years to come. The oil is excellent for food, and it can be used for energy purposes as well [3], [4]. In this context it is in a class of its own, because, in contrast to other forms of biomass, it can be used as a harmless and environmentally friendly engine fuel as a substitute for diesel [1], [2].

2.1. MYTHS AND REALITY:
Below, myths and reality are set against each other in five areas:

This is a set of problems with an overall extent which does not seem to differ from other organic crops such as corn. In addition, rape yields a positive contribution to the solution of problems connected with other crops. The solutions are subject to continued research and general experience building, in which rediscovery of older methods and experience may form part.

The following short exposition is based on material [3], [4], [9], [10], [11] from the Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre, the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, and DLG organic, with supplementary information from these institutions' agricultural experts.

2.1.1. SPILLED SEEDS:
In principle, spilled seeds act as a weed in the following crops, and a large amount of rape as weed can result in a noticeable reduction in yields.

Myth:
Rape yields many spilled seeds which are almost impossible to get rid of afterwards.

Reality:
The greatest problem occurs in connexion with spring rape where uneven ripening results in increased spillage, and where the late harvest makes it difficult to be in time for an effective subsequent effort. In addition, the seeds sprout at the same time as spring sown corn and is therefore competitive.

For winter rape there is better time for an effort after harvest, and it will normally be difficult for spilled winter rape seeds to compete with winter sown crops at the low temperatures in the late sowing period which is normal in organic agriculture.

Solution:
The simplest measure is to sow underseed in the winter rape to avoid soil preparation after harvest. With this, spilled seeds will be left on the ground where most of them will perish; for one thing they are an attractive food, especially for insects and insect larvae. If the straw is not removed, it should be cut to spread the seeds on the ground.

There is a number of other possible measures which are subject to further research:

-Delaying the soil preparation as lon as possible;
-Weed harrowing to provoke sprouting; this can be done immediately after harvest or after the first wave of sprouting.

2.1.2 WEEDS:
It takes a continuous, long term effort to maintain a low weed competition on organic farms. Breeding of problematic weeds is therefore a serious problem.

Myth:
It is extremely difficult to fight down weeds in rape without the use of pesticides.

Reality:
A well established winter rape is not very sensitive to weeds, but weeds should be controlled to obtain an optimum utilisation of the nutrients.

In the crop rotation, winter rape actually presents an opportunity to clean up the weed by howing. In fact this mechanical weed control finds increasing use in conventional agriculture instead of pesticides which are really not very effective against the most problematic weeds.

Solution:
Rape is sown as a row crop, and the weeds are controlled by howing.

2.1.3. INSECT PESTS:
Insect pests cause yield losses in organic crops. However, serious attacks are relatively rare, typically rarer than every fifth year, unless a constant breeding results from inappropriate crop rotation or disregard for local pest problems.

Myth:
Rape is very vulnerable to a number of insect pests which may destroy the harvest completely. Especially pollen beetles, brassica pod midges, and flea beetles.

Reality:
Both pollen beetles and brassica pod midges may give severe yield losses in spring rape, especially close to winter rape fields.

Winter rape is considerably less vulnerable to the two insect species, partly owing to an earlier blossom, partly owing to a longer growth season to compensate for attacks which predominantly occur at the edge of the field.

Thrips and ordinary flea beetles may cause severe yield losses in spring rape, especially in dry springs, but they are not a serious problem in winter rape.

In certain years, cabbage stem flea beetles may cause great damage to winter rape within its sphere of occurrence which, at least presently, is limited to the southern part of Denmark; the possible damages will be apparent during autumn and winter.

Solution:
Problems with pollen beetles and brassica pod midges can be minimised by increasing the field size and the distance to other rape fields. Corresponding measures apply to cabbage stem flea beetles.

A good and early establishment of the winter rape is an important factor which increases the resistance to insect pests.

2.1.4. PLANT DISEASES:
It takes a continuous, long term effort to maintain a low disease occurrence on organic farms. Diseases reduce both the yield and the quality of the crop.

Reality:
Serious diseases in the form of fungi will be rare in an appropriate crop rotation.

Solution:
A crop rotation with at least 4 years between cultivation of rape and other cruciferous crops, and at least 4 years between rape and peas; pea whole crop as previous crop for rape is considered unproblematic.

2.1.5. NITROGEN REQUIREMENT:
Cattle farms may have a nitrogen surplus, whereas it is important for pig farms and especially plant farms is important to establish priorities for fertilizers in the crop rotation.

Myth:
Rape has a very high nitrogen requirement which can only be fulfilled with massive use of industrial fertilizers.

Reality:
Winter rape belongs to the most nitrogen requiring crops along with winter wheat and a number of roughage crops. Thus rape requires available nitrogenous fertilizers.

On the other hand, next to grass clover lea and alfalfa, winter rape is the best previous crop for winter wheat. In fact, it reduces the nitrogen norm (nitrogen fertilizer requirement) for wheat by up to 30%, so the nitrogen norm of winter wheat is reduced to the level of other cereals [12]. In this way the utilisation of nitrogenous fertilizers kan be optimised.

In addition, winter rape is a good catch crop for nitrogen in the autumn which reduces both the nitrate leaching and the fertilizer requirement in the spring, especially after a good previous crop such as whole crop or grass clover lea.

Finally, there is a more efficient utilisation of the nutrients in organic agriculture so the relative yield compared to the fertilizer level is higher than in conventional agriculture.

Solution:
An optimisation of the nitrogen utility in the crop rotation, including choice of previous crop and priorities for the fertilizer resource.

2.2. YIELDS AND POTENTIAL:
The overview is based on material [3], [4], [9], [10], [11] from the Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre, the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, and DLG organic, with supplementary information from these institutions' agricultural experts.

2.2.1. YIELDS:
There is no complete, precise account of the general organic yield level compared to conventional agriculture.

Neither will it be correct to make a simple comparison of average yields by area, because for at least some years there will remain a number of structural differences which must be expected to result in a reduced organic yield level:

A relative yield level of about 2/3 is considered a realistic average for organic crops with great diversity from a relative yield of about 50% in a crop rotation without supply or building of nitrogen resources and up to about 90% with ample fertilizer supplies and crops without nitrogen requirements.

This approximate average, which applies to comparison of the same crop in the same soil type, is expected to apply to organic winter rape as well.

This is consistent with an empirical average yield level of 1,5 - 2 tons rape seed/ha corresponds to conventional yields of up to 3 tons/ha which is the average in conventional agriculture. As for other organic crops there are great variations, and organic rape seed yields of more than 3 tons/ha occur.

2.2.2. POTENTIAL:
The future potential for organic winter rape depends first of all on the rate of conversion from conventional to organic agriculture in the years to come. This growth has been increasing for some years, but it has been reduced in 2000, and the prognosis for 2001 shows a very small increase.

With this, in 2001 organic agriculture is only expected to reach 175.000 ha which is 6.6% of the total agricultural area. According to earlier prognoses, it was expected that the organic share would pass 10% in 2001 - 2002 [16].

In spite of this, these years have shown a considerable increase in organic winter rape.

For 1999 the total organic rape area amounted to ca. 500 ha equally divided between spring rape and winter rape with about 250 ha of each [17].

There are no newer accounts, but according to assessments and information by the feedstuffs trade the spring rape area for 2000 is approximately the same, whereas the cultivation of winter rape is increasing greatly; this applies to this year as well as next year. Thus the winter rape area is expected to become somewhat higher than 1000 ha in 2001, in other words more than a quadruplication in two years. The areas mentioned have already been sowed.

Thus winter rape is still a crop in great progress, in spite of the general stagnation in the development of organic agriculture.

In principle, the limits to the potential are the same as for conventional agriculture, namely every fifth year in the crop rotation with provisos for other crops.

2.3. CONCLUSION:
From being considered a problematic crop, organic rape is now a crop in progress, in spite of the general stagnation in organic agriculture. All in all, winter rape is not particularly problematic, and it can even contribute to the solution of problems with cultivation of other crops.

When winter rape is seen as an interesting crop in organic agriculture, it is chiefly because the rape seeds yield both oil and fodder cakes. The latter can replace imported fodder cakes, typically based on soy. Thus organic rape can meet the increasing demand for organic fodder, and at the same time provide an excellent food oil; the oil can also be used for energy purposes, including engine fuel.

The requirement that the organic share of the fodder shall be increased to 100% by 2005, along with the ban on GMO (gene modified organisms), will increase the need for Danish grown organic fodder in the years to come. The oil is excellent for food, and for energy purposes it is in a class of its own, because it can be used as a harmless and environmentally friendly engine fuel as a substitute for diesel.

3. REFERENCES:
[1] Note: Rape seed oil for transport 2: Agriculture and energy, Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, 2001. Available at www.folkecenter.dk.

[2] Note: Rape seed oil for transport 1: Energy and CO₂ balance, Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, 2001. Available at www.folkecenter.dk.

[3] Økologisk vinterraps - et stort potentiale for danske økologer. Artikel i Nord-, Midt- og Vestsjællands Landbrugsnyt, 20. september 1999, af Styregruppen for økologisk rapsdyrkning: Agronom Søren Nilausen, DLG Økologi, Konsulent Thomas Vang-Jørgensen, Landbrugets Rådgivningscenter, Forsøgsleder Gunner Mikkelsen og Forsker Ilse A. Rasmussen, Danmarks JordbrugsForskning.(Organic winter rape - a great potential for Danish organic farmers. Article in North-, Mid- and West Zealand's Agriculture News, 20^th September 1999, by the Steering Committee for organic rape cultivation: Agronomist Mr. Søren S. Nilausen, DLG Organic, Consultant Thomas Vang-Jørgensen, Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre, Research Manager Mr. Gunnar Mikkelsen and Scientist Ms. Ilse A. Rasmussen, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences).

[4] Økologisk dyrkningsvejledning, Vinterraps, 2000. Landbrugets Rådgivningscenter (Organic cultivation guide, Winter Rape, 2000. Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre). In Danish, available at www.lr.dk.

[5] Kan ethanol (grøn benzin) bidrage til en løsning af trafikkens miljøproblemer? NOAH-Trafik 1999. (Can ethanol (green gasoline) contribute to a solution of the environmental problems of rtraffic? NOAH-Traffic 1999). In Danish, available at: http://www.noah.dk/trafik/ethanol.html

[6] NOTAT: Spørgsmål vedrørende anvendelse af rapsolie som brændstof til biler rejst af Erik Mortensen (MF) i brev af 4. november 1999. Energistyrelsen 17. november 1999. (NOTE: Questions concerning the use of rape seed oil as fuel for cars raised by Mr. Erik Mortensen (MP, Member of the Danish Parliament) i letter of 4^th November 1999. Danish Energy Agency, 17^th November 1999). In Danish.

[7] Skatteministerens svar på spørgsmål 136 - 138 af 11. april fra Folketingets Energipolitiske Udvalg. (The Minister of Taxation's answer to questions 136 - 138 of 11^th April 2000 from the Danish Paliament's Committee on Energy Policy). In Danish, available at:

[8] Fodermiddeltabel, Sammensætning og foderværdi af fodermidler til kvæg, Rapport nr. 91. Landsudvalget for Kvæg, Oktober 2000. (Feedstuffs table, composition and fodder value of feedstuffs for cattle, Report no. 91, National Board for Cattle, October 2000): 52 pages report in Danish.

[9] Ilse A. Rasmussen og Søren S. Nilausen: Økologisk dyrkning af vinterraps - et samarbejde mellem DLG-Økologi og DJF. DLG-Økologi og Danmarks JordbrugsForskning, 2000. Ms. Ilse A. Rasmussen and Mr. Søren S. Nilausen: Organic cultivation of winter rape - a cooperation between DLG Organic and DJF. DLG Organic and Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, 2000. In Danish.

[10] Demonstrationsprojekt "Dyrk økologisk raps!". Landbrugets Rådgivningscenter. (Demonstration Project "Cultivate organic rape!". Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre). In Danish, available at: www.lr.dk

[11] Økologisk raps hos Danmarks JordbrugsForskning på Forskningscenter Foulum og Flakkebjerg. Danmarks JordbrugsForskning. (Organic rape at Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Research Centres Foulum and Flakkebjerg. Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences). In Danish, available at: www.lr.dk

[12] Plantedirektoratet: Vejledning og skemaer, mark- og gødningsplan, gødningsregnskab, plantedække, harmoniregler, 1999/2000. Ministeriet for Fødevarer, Landbrug og Fiskeri, 1999. (Danish Plant Directorate: Guide and sheets, field and fertilizer plan (planning of composition of crops), fertilizer account (annual report on the total application at farm level), green crops, harmony rules, 1999/2000. Ministry of food, agriculture, and fisheries, 1999): Rules, guide, and sheets, in Danish.

[13] Paul Rye Kledal: Økologisk jordbrug for fremtiden? - en økonomisk analyse af de potentielle økologiske jordbrugere. Statens Jordbrugs- og Fiskeriøkonomiske Institut, SJFI - Working Paper no. 8/2000. (Paul Rye Kledal: Organic agriculture for the future? - an economic analysis of the potential organic farmers. Danish Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Economics, SJFI - Working Paper no. 8/2000). 108 pages report in Danish.

[14] Økonomien i økologi er god, men interessen for omlægning er lille, Landbrugets Rådgivningscenter. (The economy in organic agriculture is godd, but the interest in conversion is slight, Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre). In Danish, available at: www.lr.dk

[15] Håndbog i plantedyrkning 1998, Landbrugets Rådgivningscenter, 1998. (Handbook in plant growth 1998, Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre, 1998). In Danish.

[16] Jyske Analyser, Landbrug, Januar 2000, Jyske Bank 2000. (Jutland analyses, Agriculture, January 2000, Jutland Bank 2000). In Danish.

[17] Plantedirektoratet: Økologiske jordbrugsbedrifter 1999, Autorisation, Produktion. (Danish Plant Directorate: Organic farms 1999, Authorisation, Production). Rules and guide in Danish.

FU*/kg solids	% solids	FU/kg rape cake
1.25	89	1.1125