No abstract

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is becoming more and more important in the health food market as a functional food, since its seeds and oil represent a rich source of bioactive compounds. Its chemical composition is strongly correlated with, and dependent on, genetic characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variation in seed yield, oil content, fatty acid composition and secondary metabolite profiles between a low-linolenic linseed variety, belonging to the Solin-type group (Solal), and a high-linolenic traditional one (Bethune), cultivated, both as spring crops, in open field conditions of Central Italy. The achieved results pointed out the different behavior of the two varieties in terms of growth cycle, oil content, and some important yield components, such as capsule number per plant and thousand seed weight. There were also significant differences in seed composition regarding total phenols, total flavonoids, antioxidant activities as well as in carotenoid, tocopherol, and tocotrienol profiles between the two varieties. In particular, Solal was characterized by the greatest contents of oil, phenols, flavonoids, α- and δ- tocotrienol, together with the highest antioxidant activity. Bethune, on the contrary, showed the highest amounts of carotenoids (lutein and β-carotene). These results indicate a clear effect of the genetic characteristics on the biosynthesis of these secondary metabolites and, consequently, on the related antioxidant activity. Our findings suggest that the mutation process, responsible for the selection of the low-linolenic cultivar, is able to modify the biosynthetic pathways of carotenoids and phenolics.

Given the growing interest for camelina, as a multipurpose oilseed crop, seven cultivars and two sowing times were compared to characterize camelina’s production potential in the rainfed agroecosystems of Central Italy. A split-plot design, with sowing date as main plot (autumn and spring) and cultivar (V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6, and CELINE) as subplot, was adopted over two growing seasons (2017–2019). Phenology, yield and yield components, protein and oil content, and fatty acid profile were evaluated. Going from autumn to spring sowing, a significant reduction was observed in the number of days (139 vs. 54 days) and GDD (642 vs. 466 °C d) from emergence to beginning of flowering, with more consistent variations among cultivars. V1 and V2 were the earlier ones both in spring and autumn sowing. Autumn sowing increased seed yield (+18.0%), TSW (+4.1%), number of siliques per plant (+47.2%), contents of α-linolenic, eicosenoic, erucic and eicosadienoic acids, and polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio. Regarding genotype, V3 showed the best seed and oil yield in autumn, whereas V1 and CELINE were the best performing in spring. Finally, TSW and number of siliques per plant were the key yield components for camelina. Results identify, in relation to sowing date, the most suitable cultivars for the tested environment, in terms of earliness and quanti-qualitative traits.

No abstract

Camelina can be considered a valuable crop for bio-based products and biofuels, but, to date, there are still many uninvestigated aspects concerning the optimization of its agricultural management and its environmental impact. Consequently, a low-input camelina cultivation has been realized, in northern Italy environment, through a 4-year camelina-wheat rotation in open field. In these conditions, camelina was grown as winter crop. Camelina reached, over the years, a variable (CV=28%) mean seed yield of 0.82 Mg ha-1. This notwithstanding, the oil content - 39.17% (CV=3%) - and its related quality were rather stable, reaching an oil yield of 320 kg ha-1 particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acid. The low input cultivation system here adopted implied an energy ratio (output energy/input energy) of 4 and a 30% decrease in Global Warming Potential per hectare, compared to the standard value reported by the European Renewable Energy Directive for sunflower, reducing, at the same time, other relevant environmental burdens. However, due to its relatively low oil production, the full use of all camelina co-products should be considered in order to fulfill the sustainability requirements for European jet fuel production. In fact, stability of yields and quality of oil, oilcake and straws makes low-input camelina eligible for many other novel green chemistry applications.