The effect of cultivar and applied nitrogen on the performance of Camelina sativa L. in the Maritime Provinces of Canada

Worldwide, oilseed demand is steadily expanding. This study assessed the novel oilseed crop Camelina sativa L. in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Evaluations of cultivar and applied N were performed at Truro, NS, Harrington, PEI, and Hartland, NB, in 2005 and 2006. The results show that the selection of cultivar is an important determinant for the potential success or failure of C. sativa production. Differences in plant stand, plant height, seed yield, oil content and fatty acid profile were found among the cultivars. The cultivar Calena provided the most consistent performance in terms of plant establishment, yield and oil content across all year-sites. Plant height, seed yield, oil content, total plant N and seed protein all responded to applied N rate. Applied N increased the seed yield of C. sativa, but the increase was not significant when the application rates were over 60 kg N ha(-1) in NS or 80 kg N ha(-1) in PEI. Plant height, total N content in plant tissue and seed protein content increased with increased N application, while oil content decreased. With the exception of erucic acid, all the main fatty acids in C. sativa oil responded to applied N levels or the interaction of N levels and year. Regression analysis showed that the contents of oleic acid and eicosenoic acid decreased with increased N application. The response of linolenic acid to N application was not consistent at each year-site. Results of this study provide convincing evidence of the agronomic suitability of C. sativa to the Maritime Provinces of Canada.