by Ray Hansen, content specialist, AgMRC, Iowa State University, hansenr@iastate.edu.

Updated May 2008 by Vikram Koundinya, graduate student, Iowa State University.


Overview
Crambe (CRAM bee) is an oilseed crop from the mustard family, which includes crops such as rapeseed (canola and industrial rapeseed oil) and tame mustard. Crambe (crambe abyssinica) is also called Abyssinian mustard, Abyssinian kale, colewart or datran. Except for industrial rapeseed, crambe is the only commercial source of erucic acid, a fatty acid, in the United States. Global preference for rapeseed oil and the lack of processing facilities have stalled production in the United States.

Crambe is believed to be a native of the Mediterranean area. It was introduced in the United States by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in the 1940s and began receiving consideration as an alternative crop in the late 1950s because of its unique oil properties. Since that time, crambe has been successfully grown in several areas of the United States, but most of its commercial cultivation is in North Dakota.

Value-added Products
The primary products from crambe seed include oil (around 35 percent), meal (64 to 69 percent) and hulls (3 percent). Crambe seed has 30 percent protein. Interest in crambe oil originally focused on the high percentage of erucic acid, which had significant implications for industrial uses, specifically the plastics industry. Crambe oil's ability to withstand high temperatures and remain liquid at low temperatures make it a quality lubricant and transfer oil. Because it is a very effective lubricant and much more biodegradable than mineral oils, this oil may be used alone or as additives for the textile, steel and shipping industries.The oil can also be used in pharmaceuticals, fish food coating agents, cosmetics, nylon and perfumes. More recently it is also being considered as an oil for use in biofuel production, because its oil content ranges from 35 to 60 percent with potential yields of over 2,000 pounds per acre. The oil production potential of crambe is about 589 kilogram of oil per hectare.

Crambe meal can be used as livestock protein or for protein isolates and fertilizer. The protein content of defatted, dehulled crambe meal may be as high as 45 percent. The Food and Drug Administration has approved use of defatted crambe meal as a beef cattle protein supplement. Per their regulation, crambe meal can only be fed in limited quantities to cattle. Crambe meal can also be used as a soil amendment and an insecticide.

In 1997, the value of crambe oil was estimated at $4.9 to $6.1 million and the meal at $1.6 to $2.1 million. The total value of the two products was $6.5 to $8.3 million. The price of crambe is around $135 per ton with government subsidies bringing it to around $219 per ton.

Production
According to 1997 Census data, North Dakota is the leading producer of crambe, producing as much as 20,000 acres under contract. Production peaked in 1993 when the crop was grown on 56,810 acres; by 2001 crambe was grown on around 19,760 acres. In 2002 the USDA discontinued its designation of crambe as a separate oilseed crop for loan deficiency payments, due to the small number of producers and the limited geographical area planted to the crop. At that time, the agency estimated less than 120 crambe growers existed in North Dakota and the same number in Texas and Oklahoma combined.

Crambe has been commercially grown in the northern plains since the early 1990s. Commercial interest in crambe as an alternative crop developed in part because it can be grown with conventional small-grain equipment. It also required less pest management inputs and demonstrated good tolerance of variable growing conditions. Current production data for domestic production is limited. Production in Canada and the United Kingdom has remained stable or slightly increased.

Competitive Products and Intensity

Rapeseed is the current oilseed of choice for erucic acid in national and international markets; however, crambe oil typically yields eight to nine percent more usable oil. The limiting factor for expansion is lack of processors and market points to move the industry. When the USDA delisted crambe, it reported only one commercial buyer of crambe oil; the remainder was grown under contract for specific applications. In addition, supporting research and specific demand from end users will be essential for moving this industry forward. As an industrial lubricant, it must also compete against petroleum product alternatives.

Another consideration limiting widespread crambe utilization is transportation costs. Because of its low test weight, the product cannot economically be hauled long distances. Additional processing infrastructure is needed to expand production; currently, processing facilities are extremely limited.
 

Government/Regulatory Involvement

Most crambe production is currently being undertaken as part of government research or private pilot projects to determine its potential as a viable alternative crop and for rural development.