EVALUATION OF CAMELINA SATIVA (L.) CRANTZ AS OILSEED CROP IN TWO ENVIRONMENTS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ITALY

Camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) has gained considerable attention in Europe and North America as a potential oilseed feedstock for advanced biofuels (i.e.aviation fuel) and bioproducts. Camelina seeds contain also different compounds, among which glucosinolates (GLs) make the resulting oil cake interesting for the production of value added chemicals . The objectives of the following study were to characterize the production potential of camelina in two environments of central (Pisa, Tuscany) and northern (Bologna, Emilia Romagna) Italy, traditionally devoted to cereal and sunflower cultivation. Results showed that seed and oil yield were higher in Pisa than in Bologna. This was probably due to differences in the sowing dates. In fact, previous experiments showed that winter sown camelina can be damaged by frost in the initial vegetative growth stages. The harvest index found in Pisa was significantly higher than in Bologna due to the lower dry matter accumulation in the vegetative tissues in spring sown crops during the 2nd and 3rd year of field trial. Very high amounts of GLs were found, with significant variation among years and environments ; the values reached in both environments were among the highest between those found in the literature.This study highlights the good crop adaptability, seed and oil yield, protein and GL content of camellia under the pedo-climatic conditions of central and northern Italy, evidencing a clear effect of location and climate on seed yield and its quality. The high amount of glucosinolates makes the resulting oil cake suitable for the production of value added chemicals.