Camelina seed yield and quality in different growing environments in northern China

Abstract

Camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz], a member of Brassicaceae family, is a relatively new oilseed crop in China. It is a highly adaptable cool season crop species that can be grown in a wide range of environment with low input, making it potentially suitable for growing in northern China. A five-year (2010–2014) field experiment was conducted to evaluate the seed yield and quality of two camelina cultivars across three different locations in China. The study showed camelina can be cultivated successfully in a relatively short growth period of 1308−1920 °C d (base temperature: 4 °C) across a wide range of environmental conditions. Overall, camelina cv. ‘Xiaoguo’ displayed a satisfactory high seed yield dry matter (d.m.) (mean: 1946 kg ha−1, range: 1274−2650 kg ha−1) and oil yield (mean: 598 kg ha−1, range: 387−778 kg ha−1) across three different locations over the 5-year field trial, indicating the potential commercial production of camelina in northern China. The average contents of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in camelina oil across locations and years varied from 10−21% (mean: 13 %), 24−38% (mean: 33 %), and 47−63% (mean: 56 %), respectively. In the present study, a variety of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly C22:6 (DHA) which is commonly presented in aquatic ecosystem were detected in camelina oil, making camelina an attractive oil crop for its peculiar fatty acid composition. This is the first study evaluating the agronomic performance of camelina in different growing environments in China and the relatively short growing cycle and high seed yield make camelina as a suitable oilseed crop in northern China.