There has been an increased interest in renewable fuel sources with the challenge to replace 75 percent of oil imports by 2025. Two biodiesel plants are operating in Arkansas with another scheduled to begin operations in the near future. Currently, the biodiesel plants are utilizing soybean oil or animal fat as feedstock however as more plants are built and the production of biodiesel increases more feedstock will be needed to maintain the demand.

Canola could be the crop to help alleviate some of the feedstock demand of the biodiesel plants, since it has a higher oil content and a more desirable fatty acid profile than soybean. Canola which is a winter crop in Arkansas would be harvested in early June and may even allow for doublecropping with soybean after harvest. The University of Arkansas has been evaluating canola lines for more than 12 years and with the advent of three biodiesel plants operating in Arkansas there may be a demand for production.

Approximately 500 acres of canola was planted in production fields to evaluate the feasibility of production on a large scale. Production fields were planted throughout the delta region of Arkansas.