Sowing dates effect on Camelina growth in different EU climatic zones

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, is an annual plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family, as rapeseed. It is native to central Europe where it was widely cultivated until the 1940s. However, only recently it gained the interest of the energy and bio-based industries as a low-cost non-food crop for aviation biofuel production and the oleochemical industry, due to its high oil content (up to 40%) and suitable oil profile. Field trials are performed at different locations in Europe, to study the effect of sowing dates on camelina seed and oil yields, in three different environments, the South (Greece) and North Mediterranean (Italy) climatic zones as well as the Continental zone (Poland). The activity was organized in two separate experiments: autumn sowing and spring sowing with two camelina varieties: Midas, a spring variety supplied by Linnaeus Plant Science (Canada), and Luna, a commercial winter variety from Poland. Total biomass ranged between 2.8 – 9.8 Mg DM ha-1, depending on the site and sowing seasons, with the highest figures in Italy and the lowest in Greece. Seed yields ranged from 0.56 – 2.11 Mg DM ha-1, depending on the site and sowing seasons, with the highest figures in the mild Mediterranean environments. Likewise, oil content ranged between 36.50 – 40.55%. Winter camelina reached almost double the seed yield compared to the spring crop for the same spring variety, Midas. Autumn sowing was found more productive than spring sowing for seed yields and oil content both in Greece and Italy, while in Poland, only real winter camelina varieties survive winter.