© The Authors, 2026, Published by the Universidad del Zulia*Corresponding author: benattia.seddik007@gmail.com
Keywords:
Oilseed crops
Seed yield
Oil content
Fatty acid prole
α-Linolenic acid
Eect of tillage and seeding density on Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz under a semi-arid climate
Efecto de la labranza y la densidad de siembra sobre Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz bajo un clima
semiárido
Efeito do preparo do solo e da densidade de semeadura em Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz sob clima
semiárido
Mohamed Seddik Benattia
1*
Ramdane Benniou
2
Amar Mebarkia
1
Abderrahmane Hannachi
3
Dahbia Izountar
4
Mouna Dib
5
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(1): e264317
ISSN 2477-9407
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47280/RevFacAgron(LUZ).v43.n1.XVII
Crop production
Associate editor: Dra. Lilia Urdaneta
University of Zulia, Faculty of Agronomy
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
1
Laboratory for Improvement and Development of Plant and
Animal Production (LADPVA), Department of Agricultural
Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University
of Ferhat Abbas Setif 1, Algeria.
2
Faculty of Sciences, University of Mohamed Boudiaf,
Algeria.
3
National Agronomic Research Institute of Algeria (INRAA),
Setif Research Unit, Algeria.
4
Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Natural
Resources in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas, Salhi Ahmed
University Centre of Naama, Algeria.
5
Laboratory of Natural Substances, Biomolecules and
Biotechnological Applications, Department of Natural
and Life Sciences, Larbi Ben M’Hidi University, Oum El
Bouaghi, Algeria.
Received: 06-11-2025
Accepted: 03-02-2026
Published: 25-02-2026
Abstract
The Mediterranean Basin is warming at a rate approximately
20 % faster than the global average. In the southern Mediterranean
countries, there is an urgent need to identify and adopt alternative
crops that combine protability with adaptability for local farmers.
Camelina (Camelina sativa) has been proposed as a candidate for
diversication. However, its agronomic performance under local
semi-arid conditions remains poorly understood. To address this
gap, a eld study was conducted in the Setif region of Algeria over
two growing seasons, examining the eects of three tillage systems
(conventional tillage, minimum tillage, and direct seeding) and two
seeding rates (600 and 800 seeds.m
2
). Results showed that tillage
signicantly impacted plant stand establishment, with the highest
seedling emergence (436.28 plants.m
-2
) and nal plant density at
harvest (332.22 plants.m
-2
) obtained under conventional tillage.
Seed yield was similar between conventional (120.74 g.m
-2
) and
minimum tillage (106.94 g.m
-2
), and both systems signicantly
outperformed direct seeding (72.35 g.m
-2
). The growing season
was identied as the predominant factor inuencing the fatty acid
composition of camelina oil, with α-linolenic acid ranging from
30.94 % to 35.22 % and oleic acid from 14.33 % to 18.82 %. These
ndings demonstrate that camelina is a resilient and promising
oilseed crop capable of diversifying and strengthening agricultural
systems in Algeria and similar semi-arid regions.
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(1): e264317 January-March ISSN 2477-9409.
2-6 |
Resumen
La cuenca mediterránea se está calentando aproximadamente un
20 % más rápido que el promedio mundial. En los países del sur del
Mediterráneo, existe una necesidad urgente de identicar y adoptar
cultivos alternativos que combinen rentabilidad con adaptabilidad para
los agricultores locales. La camelina (Camelina sativa) se ha propuesto
como un candidato para la diversicación. Sin embargo, su rendimiento
agronómico en condiciones locales semiáridas sigue siendo poco
comprendido. Para abordar esta brecha, se llevó a cabo un estudio
de campo en la región de Sétif en Argelia durante dos temporadas
agrícolas, examinando los efectos de tres sistemas de labranza (labranza
convencional, labranza mínima y siembra directa) y dos densidades
de siembra (600 y 800 semillas.m
-2
). Los resultados mostraron que
la labranza tuvo un efecto signicativo en el establecimiento de las
plantas, con la mayor emergencia de plántulas (436,28 plantas.m
-2
) y
la densidad nal de plantas a la cosecha (332,22 plantas.m
-2
) obtenidas
bajo labranza convencional. El rendimiento de semilla fue similar
entre el laboreo convencional (120,74 g.m
-2
) y el laboreo mínimo
(106,94 g.m
-2
), y ambos sistemas superaron signicativamente a la
siembra directa (72,35 g.m
-2
). La temporada agrícola se identicó como
el factor predominante que inuye en la composición de ácidos grasos
del aceite de camelina, con ácido α-linolénico que varió entre 30,94 %
y 35,22 % y ácido oleico entre 14,33 % y 18,82 %. Estos hallazgos
demuestran que la camelina es un cultivo oleaginoso resistente y
prometedor capaz de diversicar y fortalecer los sistemas agrícolas en
Argelia y en regiones semiáridas similares.
Palabras clave: cultivos oleaginosos, rendimiento en semillas,
contenido de aceite, perl de ácidos grasos, ácido α-linolénico.
Resumo
A bacia do Mediterrâneo está a aquecer aproximadamente 20 %
mais rápido do que a média global. Nos países do sul do Mediterrâneo,
há uma necessidade urgente de identicar e adotar culturas alternativas
que combinem rentabilidade com adaptabilidade para os agricultores
locais. A camelina (Camelina sativa) foi proposta como candidato
à diversicação. No entanto, o seu desempenho agronómico em
condições semiáridas locais ainda é pouco compreendido. Para
abordar esta lacuna, foi realizado um estudo de campo na região de
Sétif, na Argélia, ao longo de duas temporadas agrícolas, examinando
os efeitos de três sistemas de lavoura (lavoura convencional, lavoura
mínima e sementeira direta) e de duas densidades de sementeira
(600 e 800 sementes.m
-2
). Os resultados mostraram que a lavoura
teve um efeito signicativo no estabelecimento das plantas, com a
maior emergência de plântulas (436,28 plantas.m
-2
) e a densidade
nal de plantas na colheita (332,22 plantas.m
-2
) obtidas sob lavoura
convencional. O rendimento de sementes foi semelhante entre a
lavoura convencional (120,74 g.m
-2
) e a lavoura mínima (106,94 g.m
-
2
), e ambos os sistemas superaram signicativamente a semeadura
direta (72,35 g.m
-2
). A temporada agrícola foi identicada como o
fator predominante que inuencia a composição de ácidos graxos
do óleo de camelina, com ácido α-linolênico variando entre 30,94 %
e 35,22 % e ácido oleico entre 14,33 % e 18,82 %. Estes resultados
demonstram que a camelina é uma cultura oleaginosa resiliente e
promissora, capaz de diversicar e reforçar os sistemas agrícolas na
Argélia e em regiões semiáridas semelhantes.
Palavras-chave: culturas oleaginosas, rendimento em sementes, teor
de óleo, perl de ácidos graxos, ácido α-linolênico.
Introduction
Camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) is an ancient oilseed crop
of the Brassicaceae family that has gained worldwide attention due
to its favorable agronomic traits and its potential for industrial and
nutritional applications (Berti et al., 2016). Primarily cultivated for
its oil, camelina seeds contain approximately 30 to 48 % of oil by
weight (Guendouz et al., 2022). This oil is rich in polyunsaturated
fatty acids, comprising about 36-41 % alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3)
and 16-20 % linoleic acid (omega-6) (Tulkubayeva and Vasin,
2018). Additionally, camelina oil contains considerable amounts of
tocopherols (558-761 mg.kg
-1
) and phytosterols (3310-4420 mg.kg
-1
)
(Ratusz et al., 2018).
The Mediterranean Basin is recognized as one of the regions
most vulnerable to climate change (Lionello and Scarascia, 2018).
This vulnerability is especially acute in the southern Mediterranean,
where more than 90 % of the cultivated land depends on rain-fed
agriculture (Malek and Verburg, 2017). Climate change has already
caused notable negative impacts in the region, such as declining
crop productivity, soil deterioration, and greater exposure to extreme
weather conditions (Lange, 2019). These factors pose serious
challenges to agricultural sustainability and food security.
Research across diverse geographic regions reveals that the eects
of tillage on camelina vary widely, depending on environmental
conditions. In a Greek study, equivalent yields were reported between
conventional and minimum tillage systems, although conventional
tillage consistently produced higher protein content in seeds
(Angelopoulou et al., 2023). In contrast, in the northern Corn Belt,
U.S., higher yields were observed under no-till systems (Gesch and
Cermak, 2011). These dierences are likely related to variations in
rainfall, suggesting that the benets of a tillage system may depend
on soil moisture: no-till may perform better in wetter areas, while
conventional tillage could provide an advantage in very dry conditions
by enhancing water inltration. Sowing density eects revealed
substantial phenotypic plasticity, with plants compensating for low
density through increased branching, whereas increasing plant density
from 200 to 400 plants.m
-2
was reported to reduce protein content
(Bobrecka-Jamro, 2018). Across wide density ranges (113-2905
plants.m
-2
), plant density was strongly correlated with both biomass (R
2
= 0.85) and seed production (R
2
= 0.87) (Bakhshandeh et al., 2023).
Camelina is successfully cultivated in multiple countries across
Europe (Germany, France, Italy, and Slovenia), North America (United
States and Canada), and parts of Asia (Kazakhstan and China), and
has demonstrated adaptability to diverse climatic conditions. Given
its agronomic potential and nutritional value, could camelina be
successfully grown under the local conditions of Algeria?
This study was conducted within the framework of the 4CE-
MED project and aimed to (1) evaluate the agronomic performance
of camelina (C. sativa) under a semi-arid climate, (2) assess oil quality
in response to dierent crop management practices, and (3) provide
recommendations for camelina cultivation based on the study ndings.
Materials and methods
Site description
Camelina was sown during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 growing
seasons at the National Agricultural Research Institute, Setif Unit
(36°09ʹ N, 5°22ʹ E; 968 m.a.s.l.) under rainfed conditions. The soil
at the experimental site was classied as clay loam (24.34 % sand,
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Seddik et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(1): e264317
3-6 |
52 % P₂O₅) was applied per subplot (20 m × 3 m) using a seed drill.
Glyphosate was applied at a volume of 18 mL per subplot before
sowing to control weeds in the direct sowing plots only.
Plant sampling and measurements
Two counting stations, each spanning 1 meter along a row, were
randomly placed within each subplot to evaluate seedling emergence
and nal plant population density. The harvest dates were May 31,
2022, and June 1, 2023. Five camelina plants were randomly selected
from each plot for the computation of branches and capsules. To
determine seed yield, plants were manually harvested from a 1 m
2
area, placed in labelled paper bags, and dried at 45 °C for 72 h. The
plants were then threshed, and the seeds were cleaned and weighed.
Cold-pressed oil was extracted from 200 g of cleaned and dried
camelina seeds using an electric oil press machine (Morelian, China)
equipped with an 820 W motor and an intelligent digital temperature
control system (40-240 °C). The extraction was performed in cold-
press mode at a controlled temperature of 45 °C. The extracted oil
was weighed, and the oil content was calculated using the following
equation:
For each treatment, three independent samples of camelina oil were
analyzed to determine their fatty acid prole. The transesterication
reaction was carried out using 0.1 g of oil dissolved in 2 mL of
heptane and 0.2 mL of 2 N methanolic KOH. The fatty acid methyl
esters (FAMEs) were analyzed using a GC-MS TQ8040 NX system
(Shimadzu Scientic Instruments, Kyoto, Japan). A 1 µL sample was
injected into the gas chromatograph (GC) operating at 122.5 kPa.
Separation was achieved on an Rxi-5Sil MS capillary column (30 m
× 0.25 mm internal diameter, 0.25 µm lm thickness), with helium
as the carrier gas. The oven temperature was programmed at 40, 170,
180, and 250 °C. The components were identied using the NIST17
library (U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology), and
their relative proportions were calculated as percentages of the total
peak area.
Statistical analysis
All data collected in the current study were rst tested for
normality using the Ryan-Joiner test and showed a normal distribution
of residuals. Levene’s test was used to evaluate the homogeneity of
variances, after which a three-way ANOVA was conducted to test
the eects of tillage (T), sowing dose (D), and growing season (S),
as well as their interactions, on the measured parameters. The three
factors were set as xed factors and the replication as a random factor.
Mean comparisons were conducted using Tukey’s pairwise test at a
signicance level of 0.05. All statistical analyses were conducted
using Minitab 22.
Results and discussion
Plant density
For Brassicaceae, plant stand establishment is a fundamental
factor that is consistently associated with crop productivity (McVay
and Khan, 2011). In the current study, camelina seedling emergence
was signicantly aected by tillage and seeding rate (table 1). Among
the tillage methods used, conventional tillage (CT) produced the
highest plant stand, followed by minimum tillage (MT), whereas
direct seeding (DS) resulted in the lowest emergence rate (table
1). These dierences are likely due to both soil physical properties
and seed characteristics. The small size of camelina seeds, typically
43.18 % silt, and 32.48 % clay) using the Robinson pipette method
as described by Mathieu and Pieltain (1998). Organic matter (1.81 %)
and total nitrogen (0.08 %) were determined according to Mathieu and
Pieltain (2003). The soil had an alkaline pH of 8.56 and an electrical
conductivity of 156 µS.cm
-1
, indicating non-saline conditions
according to FAO thresholds (Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations [FAO], 1988). The high total limestone content
of 39.21 % can limit the assimilation of micronutrients by plants.
Exchangeable potassium in the soil was 245 mg.kg
-1
, indicating
adequate potassium availability for plant growth.
The daily precipitation and air temperature throughout the
growing cycles were collected from the NASA website (https://
power.larc.nasa.gov/data-access-viewer/) and presented in gure
1. The blue reference line at 4 °C represents the base temperature
for camelina growth, below which plant activity and development
become negligible (Gesch and Cermak, 2011). Camelina experienced
16 days of minimal growth in the 2021/2022 season, compared with
24 days in the 2022/2023 season, although the mean temperatures
were similar in both seasons (10.03 and 10.06 °C, respectively).
Interannual rainfall decreased from 258.87 mm to 239.18 mm, and
the precipitation distribution was more irregular during the second
season. Notably, a prolonged drought occurred from mid-March to
early May, with April recording only 6 mm of rainfall. The lling and
ripening stages of the second season were characterized by higher
rainfall and cooler temperatures.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
-10
0
10
20
30
22 December 18 January 14 February 13 March 9 April 6 May 2 June
Precipitation (mm.day
-1
)
Mean air temperature (°C)
Precipitation (2021/2022) Precipitation (2022/2023)
Mean air temperature °C (2021/2022) Mean air temperature °C (2022/2023)
Reference line at 4 °C
Figure 1. Mean daily air temperature and precipitation.
Experimental design and soil preparation
The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design, arranged
in a randomized layout with four replications over two years (2021-
2022 as S1 and 2022-2023 as S2). The main plots consisted of three
tillage treatments: conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT),
and direct seeding (DS). Subplots consisted of two sowing densities:
D1 (600 seeds.m
-2
) and D2 (800 seeds.m
-2
). The main plot and sub-
plot sizes were 130 m
2
(20 m × 6.5 m) and 60 m
2
(20 m × 3 m).
The direct seeding plots were directly sown without any previous
soil preparation. The conventional tillage treatment included
moldboard plowing to a depth of 25 cm, followed by two disc harrow
passes to break soil clods and incorporate residues, and a nal levelling
with a spring-tine harrow (APV 1200 M1). In contrast, the minimum
tillage system was restricted to a single disc harrow pass followed
by a spring-tine harrow pass to achieve a uniform soil surface for
sowing. The cultivar Alba, provided by Camelina Company España
(CCE) in the framework of the 4CE-MED project, was selected for
its drought tolerance and compatibility with crop rotations (Stefanoni
et al., 2020). Seeds with 97.25 % germination viability were sown
at a depth of 1 cm after durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) as the
preceding crop, on 25 December 2021 and 27 December 2022. At
sowing, 0.6 kg of monoammonium phosphate (NH₄H₂PO₄; 12 % N,
X 100
Oil Content % =
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(1): e264317 January-March ISSN 2477-9409.
4-6 |
ranging from 1.99 to 2.04 mm in length (Ropelewska and Jankowski,
2020), makes them particularly vulnerable to uctuations in soil
moisture and temperature. Benvenuti and Mazzoncini (2018)
conrmed this sensitivity and demonstrated that soil compaction
strongly inhibits seed germination, with the eect being inversely
proportional to seed size. Increasing the seeding rate from 600 to 800
seeds.m
-2
, improved seedling emergence from approximately 335 to
411 plants.m
-2
, with no signicant dierence between seasons, likely
due to similar favorable sowing conditions. In the 2021/2022 season,
3 mm of rainfall occurred shortly after sowing, with soil temperature
averaging 6 °C one week after sowing. In the 2022/2023 season, 2.03
mm of rainfall was recorded eight days after sowing, with an average
soil temperature of 5.06 °C. These conditions likely contributed to
uniform and successful seedling emergence in both years.
Table 1. Stand establishment, morphological and agronomic
parameters, and P value of camelina in relation to
tillage, sowing dose, and growing season.
Treatments SE SH NB/p NC/p SY OC
Tillage (T)
<0.001 <0.001 0.001 0.010 <0.001
0.580
Dose (D)
<0.001 <0.001
0.318 0.347 0.893 0.693
Season (S) 0.081
<0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
T x D 0.501 0.363 0.647 0.422 0.894 0.992
T x S 0.359 0.142 0.264 0.384 0.829 0.930
S x D 0.210 0.818 0.212 0.950 0.939 0.346
T x D x S 0.482 0.390 0.404 0.957 0.896 0.902
Unit plants.m
-2
plants.m
-2
number number g.m
-2
%
Tillage
CT
MT
DS
436.28
a
373.08
b
310.16
c
332.22
a
268.07
b
176.90
c
8.60
a
8.22
a
7.35
b
185.48
a
176.22
a
153.00
b
120.74
a
106.94
a
72.35
b
30.33
a
30.58
a
30.39
a
DOSE
D1
D2
335.04
b
411.31
a
235.61
b
282.51
a
8.19
a
7.92
a
175.55
a
167.58
a
99.55
a
100.47
a
30.47
a
30.39
a
Season
S1
S2
356.94
a
389.41
a
279.72
a
238.40
b
8.97
a
7.15
b
202.45
a
140.68
b
116.97
a
83.05
b
29.46
b
31.40
a
Plant stand at harvest was signicantly aected by tillage, sowing
density, and growing season. Conventional tillage maintained higher
plant density until harvest, and the eect of seeding rate persisted; as
the seeding rate increased, the nal plant counts also increased. In
contrast to seedling emergence, the growing season strongly aected
the camelina density at harvest (p<0.001). This discrepancy between
seedling emergence and plant population at harvest was mainly
due to plant mortality, which reached approximately 38.8 % due to
the drought prevailing during the 2022/2023 season. According to
Tahasin et al. (2024), drought poses a considerable threat to total
crop failure, particularly in regions where agriculture relies heavily
on rainfall rather than irrigation. Camelina is recognized for its
drought tolerance and suitability for cultivation in semi-arid regions.
However, its vulnerability to prolonged drought remains a concern.
For instance, camelina cultivation in Morocco failed after two months
without rainfall following germination (Berzuini et al., 2024).
Plant yield and seed quality attributes
The tillage treatments and growing season inuenced the number
of branches and capsules per plant, as well as the seed yield. In
contrast, oil content was aected only by season (table1). Plants
cultivated in tilled soil produced more branches and capsules than
those in no-till plots. This dierence in branching and capsule
Dierent superscript letters in the same column for each factor (tillage, sowing dose, and
season) indicate signicant dierences at the 0.05 level. SE: stand count at seedling emergence
per m
2
, SH: stand count at harvest per m
2
, NB/p: number of branches per plant, NC/p: number
of capsules per plant, SY: seed yield, OC: oil content.
formation was also reected in seed yield, which was higher in tilled
treatments, although no signicant dierence was observed between
conventional and minimum tillage. Studies on the eects of tillage
on oilseed crops have yielded conicting ndings. Some authors
reported lower yields under conventional tillage (Jankowski et al.,
2024; Seddaiu et al., 2016), while others reported higher yields
(Cheţan et al., 2022; Gawęda and Haliniarz, 2022). Collectively, this
research suggests that the interaction between tillage systems and
environmental conditions is more critical than the tillage method
alone. Regarding yield performance under direct seeding, multi-year
studies have shown that direct seeding requires a transition period to
reach its full benets, with initial yield decreases followed by long-
term improvements. McGregor et al. (1999) found that conventional
tillage generated greater yields in the early years, but after 14 years,
zero tillage surpassed conventional tillage yields by approximately
0.8 t.ha
-1
.
The drought during the vegetative stage of the 2022/2023 season
reduced camelina population density and aected its morphological
characteristics, consequently lowering seed yield and its components.
Despite the precipitation at the end of the 2022/2023 season, the
drought had already limited branching and oral site formation, and
camelina failed to compensate for capsule production. This critical
period, spanning from 11 March to 28 April 2023, was characterized
by a severe water decit with total rainfall reaching only 5.95 mm,
an extended period of 41 days without precipitation, and a mean
air temperature of 13 °C. The severity of drought is a fundamental
factor guiding plant survival strategies. Drought stress in camelina
limits its developmental progress, yielding shorter plants with
reduced branching patterns. Waraich et al. (2017) also documented
yield losses, illustrated by a decline in branch and capsule number
per plant. Regardless of middle-season stress, the seed lling and
maturation period in the 2022/2023 season shifted towards a cooler
period with adequate precipitation, leading to a 6.59 % higher oil
content. This conrms that camelina promotes oil biosynthesis when
environmental conditions are favorable during late growth stages
(Brock et al., 2020; Zanetti et al., 2020).
Within the tested range of 600 to 800 seeds.m
-2
, the sowing rate
had no signicant eect on the number of branches and capsules per
plant. McVay and Khan (2011) recommend a seeding rate of 3.4 to
5.6 kg.ha
-1
under dry conditions, which corresponds approximately to
400-600 seeds.m
-2
. It appears that exceeding the ideal planting density
does not provide additional yield benets. These ndings clarify why
yields did not increase at higher seeding rates (p>0.05).
Fatty acid composition
Tillage practices and seeding rate did not signicantly aect the
fatty acid composition of camelina oil (table 2). Previous studies
have only found erucic acid (C22:1) and eicosenoic acid (C20:1)
to be inuenced by tillage (Angelopoulou et al., 2023; Gesch and
Cermak, 2011). Research on camelina has demonstrated that
genotypic variation, seasonal conditions, sowing time, fertilization,
and environmental factors exert the greatest inuence on fatty
acid composition. The inuence of genotype is well-documented,
as dierent varieties exhibit varying fatty acids and responses to
growing conditions (Brock et al., 2020; Kurt and Gore, 2020). Obour
et al. (2017) demonstrated that camelina grown in dierent locations
exhibited distinct oil contents and fatty acid compositions. According
to Czarnik et al. (2017), planting density aects yield and some seed
characteristics, while fertilization regimes primarily inuence fatty
acid composition.
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Seddik et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(1): e264317
5-6 |
Table 2. Fatty acid prole (%) and P-value of camelina in relation to tillage, sowing dose, and growing season.
Treatments α linolenic Linoleic Oleic Eicosenoic Erucic Palmitic Stearic
Tillage (T) 0.463 0.919 0.503 0.270 0.177 0.801 0.379
Dose (D) 0.776 0.550 0.831 0.507 0.259 0.517 0.837
Season (S)
<0.001 0.007 <0.001 0.001 <0.001 0.030 0.036
T x D 0.490 0.781 0.414 0.389 0.716 0.474 0.787
T x S 0.540 0.718 0.893 0.620 0.476 0.938 0.647
S x D 0.634 0.849 0.620 0.641 0.455 0.585 0.346
T x D x S 0.462 0.569 0.636 0.506 0.791 0.927 0.535
Unit
%
Season
S1
S2
31.66
b
34.45
a
21.43
a
20.24
b
17.74
a
15.59
b
14.34
b
14.98
a
2.48
b
2.60
a
6.53
a
5.98
b
2.01
b
2.49
a
Dierent superscript letters in the same column indicate signicant dierences at the 0.05 level.
Among the two experimental years, the initial season favored
the accumulation of linoleic (omega-6, ω-6), oleic (omega-9, ω-9),
and palmitic acids, whereas the second season promoted α-linolenic
(omega-3, ω-3), eicosenoic, erucic, and stearic acids. The decrease
in α-linolenic acid coincided with an increase in linoleic acid. Smith
and Lu (2024) showed that temperature aects linoleic and linolenic
acids inversely. The ω-3/ω-6 ratio was 1.48 in the rst season and
increased to 1.70 in the second. The 2022/2023 season showed a
12.1 % reduction in oleic acid content compared to the 2021/2022
season, probably due to cooler temperatures during the seed lling.
The content of the eicosenoic acid was higher in 2022/2023 (14.98 %)
compared to 2021/2022 (14.34 %). The erucic acid concentration was
lower in the rst season than in the second season. The reduction of
erucic acid under higher temperatures was also reported by Sametoglu
and Önder (2023). The rst year had a higher palmitic acid content
(6.53 %) than the second year (5.98 %). Conversely, stearic acid had
a lower content in the rst year (2.01 %) compared to the second year
(2.49 %). This opposite trend reects the metabolic conversion of
palmitic acid (C16:0) to stearic acid (C18:0), resulting in an inverse
relationship between the two fatty acids.
Conclusion
These results conrm that camelina can be successfully cultivated
under semi-arid conditions when appropriate agronomic practices
are applied. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the impact
of tillage was not uniform across all measured parameters; it should
be noted that plant density, seedling emergence, branching, capsule
number, and seed yield responded signicantly. Minimum tillage
did not dier signicantly from conventional tillage for most traits
evaluated. Both treatments produced signicantly higher yields than
direct sowing. Planting density aected plant establishment but did
not signicantly inuence seed yield, oil content, or quality. Based
on the results of this study, minimum tillage combined with a sowing
density of 600 seeds.m
-2
appears to be the optimal option for camelina
cultivation under the climatic and edaphic conditions of the Setif
region. This approach not only ensures yield stability and preserves oil
quality, but it also aligns with an economic and ecological strategy by
reducing operational costs for local farmers while avoiding the negative
environmental impact of intensive tillage. Oil content and fatty acid
composition were primarily driven by growing season conditions, and
neither tillage nor sowing density had a signicant eect, highlighting
the strong environmental inuence over oil biosynthesis.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Scientic
and Technical Research Centre for Physical-Chemical Analysis
(CRAPC) and to the Technical Platform for Physical-Chemical
Analysis in Ouargla (PTAPC Ouargla) and their directors, for the oil
analysis, and to Camelina Company España (CCE) for providing the
camelina seeds.
Funding
This research was funded by the PRIMA Foundation in the
framework of the 4CE-MED Project with Grant Agreement Number
[1911] [4CE-MED] [Call 2019 Section 1 Farming RIA], a program
supported by the European Union.
Cited literature
Angelopoulou, F., Roussis, I., Kakabouki, I., Mavroeidis, A., Triantafyllidis, V.,
Beslemes, D., Kosma, C., Stavropoulos, P., Tsiplakou, E., & Bilalis, D.
(2023). Inuence of organic fertilization and soil tillage on the yield and
quality of cold-pressed camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] seed cake:
An alternative feed ingredient. Applied Sciences, 13(6), 3759. https://doi.
org/10.3390/app13063759
Bakhshandeh, E., Sanehkoori, F. H., Ghorbani, H., Nematzadeh, G. A., Sekra,
M., Abdellaoui, R., Khanghahi, M. Y., & Crecchio, C. (2023). Quantifying
plant biomass and seed production in camelina (Camelina sativa (L.)
Crantz) across a large range of plant densities: Modelling approaches.
Annals of Applied Biology, 183(1), 23-32. https://doi.org/10.1111/
aab.12830
Berti, M., Gesch, R., Eynck, C., Anderson, J., & Cermak, S. (2016). Camelina uses,
genetics, genomics, production, and management. Industrial Crops and
Products, 94(8), 690-710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2016.09.034
Berzuini, S., Zanetti, F., Alberghini, B., Leon, P., Prieto, J., Yambanis, Y. H.,
Trabelsi, I., Hannachi, A., Udupa, S., & Monti, A. (2024). Assessing the
productivity potential of camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) in the
Mediterranean basin: Results from multi-year and multi-location trials in
Europe and Africa. Industrial Crops and Products, 219, 119080. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2024.119080
Benvenuti, S., & Mazzoncini, M. (2018). Soil physics involvement in the
germination ecology of buried weed seeds. Plants, 8(1), 7. https://doi.
org/10.3390/plants8010007
Bobrecka-Jamro, M. C. (2018). The eects of varied plant density and nitrogen
fertilization on quantity and quality yield of Camelina sativa L.
Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 29(12), 988-992. https://doi.
org/10.9755/ejfa.2017.v29.i12.1569
Brock, J. R., Scott, T., Lee, A. Y., Mosyakin, S. L., & Olsen, K. M. (2020).
Interactions between genetics and environment shape Camelina seed oil
composition. BMC Plant Biology, 20(1), 423. https://doi.org/10.1186/
s12870-020-02641-8
Cheţan, F., Rusu, T., Cheţan, C., Urdă, C., Rezi, R., Şimon, A., & Bogdan, I. (2022).
Inuence of soil tillage systems on the yield and weeds infestation in the
soybean crop. Land, 11(10), 1708. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101708
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(1): e264317 January-March ISSN 2477-9409.
6-6 |
Czarnik, M., Jarecki, W., & Bobrecka-Jamro, D. (2017). The eects of varied
plant density and nitrogen fertilization on quantity and quality yield of
Camelina sativa L. Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 29(12),
988-993. https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.2017.v29.i12.1569
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (1988). Salt-aected
soils and their management (FAO Soils Bulletin No. 39). https://www.
fao.org/4/x5871e/x5871e00.htm
Gawęda, D., & Haliniarz, M. (2022). The yield and weed infestation of winter
oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera Metzg) in two tillage systems.
Agriculture, 12(4), 563. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040563
Gesch, R. W., & Cermak, S. C. (2011). Sowing date and tillage eects on fall-
seeded Camelina in the Northern Corn Belt. Agronomy Journal, 103(4),
980-987. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2010.0485
Guendouz, A., Hannachi, A., Benidir, M., Fellahi, Z. E. A., & Frih, B. (2022). Agro-
biochemical characterisation of Camelina sativa: A Review. Agricultural
Reviews, 43(3), 278-287. https://doi.org/10.18805/ag.RF-230
Jankowski, K. J., Sokólski, M., Szatkowski, A., & Załuski, D. (2024). The eects
of tillage systems on the management of agronomic factors in winter
oilseed rape cultivation: a case study in North-Eastern Poland. Agronomy,
14(3), 437. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030437
Kurt, O., & Gore, M. (2020). Eects of sowing date and genotype on oil content
and main fatty acid composition in camelina [Camelina sativa L.
(Crantz)]. Turkish Journal of Field Crops, 25(2), 227-235. https://doi.
org/10.17557/tjfc.798890
Lange, M. A. (2019). Impacts of climate change on the Eastern Mediterranean
and the Middle East and North Africa region and the water-energy nexus.
Atmosphere, 10(8), 455. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10080455
Lionello, P., & Scarascia, L. (2018). The relation between climate change in the
Mediterranean region and global warming. Regional Environmental
Change, 18(5), 1481-1493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1290-1
Malek, Ž., & Verburg, P. H. (2017). Adaptation of land management in the
Mediterranean under scenarios of irrigation water use and availability.
Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 23(6), 821-837.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-017-9761-0
Mathieu, C., & Pieltain, F. (1998). Analyse physique des sols : Méthodes choisies.
TEC & DOC Lavoisier.
Mathieu, C., & Pieltain, F. (2003). Analyse chimique des sols : Méthodes choisies.
TEC & DOC Lavoisier.
McGregor, K. C., Rcullum, R., & Mutchler, C. K. (1999). Long-term management
eects on runo, erosion, and crop production. Transactions of the ASAE,
42(1), 99-105. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.13213
McVay, K. A., & Khan, Q. A. (2011). Camelina yield response to dierent plant
populations under dryland conditions. Agronomy Journal, 103(4), 1265-
1269. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2011.0057
Obour, A. K., Obeng, E., Mohammed, Y. A., Ciampitti, I. A., Durrett, T. P., Aznar-
Moreno, J. A., & Chen, C. (2017). Camelina seed yield and fatty acids
as inuenced by genotype and environment. Agronomy Journal, 109(3),
947-956. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2016.05.0256
Ratusz, K., Symoniuk, E., Wroniak, M., & Rudzińska, M. (2018). Bioactive
compounds, nutritional quality and oxidative stability of cold-pressed
Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) oils. Applied Sciences, 8(12), 2606.
https://doi.org/10.3390/app8122606
Ropelewska, E., & Jankowski, K. J. (2020). The physical and chemical properties
of camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) seeds subjected to sulfur
fertilization. OCL, 27, 46. https://doi.org/10.1051/ocl/2020038
Sametoglu, H. H., & Önder, M. (2023). Eect of potassium doses on agricultural
characteristics of Camelina sown in winter and summer season. Selcuk
Journal of Agricultural and Food Sciences. 37(2), 363-372. https://doi.
org/10.15316/sjafs.2023.035
Seddaiu, G., Iocola, I., Farina, R., Orsini, R., Iezzi, G., & Roggero, P. P. (2016).
Long term eects of tillage practices and N fertilization in rainfed
Mediterranean cropping systems: Durum wheat, sunower and maize
grain yield. European Journal of Agronomy, 77, 166-178. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.eja.2016.02.008
Smith, B. E., & Lu, C. (2024). Heat stress during reproductive stages reduces
camelina seed productivity and changes seed composition. Heliyon,
10(4), e26678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26678
Stefanoni, W., Latterini, F., Ruiz, J., Bergonzoli, S., Attolico, C., & Pari, L. (2020).
Mechanical harvesting of camelina: work productivity, costs and seed loss
evaluation. Energies, 13(20), 5329. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13205329
Tahasin, A., Haydar, M., Hossen, Md. S., & Sadia, H. (2024). Drought vulnerability
assessment and its impact on crop production and livelihood of people:
An empirical analysis of Barind Tract. Heliyon, 10(20), e39067. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39067
Tulkubayeva, S. A., & Vasin, V. G. (2018). Camelina (Camelina sativa) cultivation
in the north of Kazakhstan. International Journal of Pharmaceutical
Research, 10(4), 798-802. https://doi.org/10.31838/ijpr/2018.10.04.138
Waraich, E. A., Ahmed, Z., Ahmad, R., & Shabbir, R. N. (2017). Modulating
the phenology and yield of Camelina sativa L. by varying sowing dates
under water decit stress conditions. Soil and Environment, 36(1), 84-92.
https://doi.org/10.25252/SE/17/20937
Zanetti, F., Gesch, R. W., Walia, M. K., Johnson, J. M. F., & Monti, A. (2020).
Winter camelina root characteristics and yield performance under
contrasting environmental conditions. Field Crops Research, 252,
107794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2020.107794