Aritz et al. (2026) Cropping camelina with flood irrigation under contrasting fertilization sources

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
• Year: 2026
• Authors: Royo-Esnal Aritz, Carlos Cantero-Martínez, Noemí Codina-Pascual
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jafr.2026.102650

Research Groups

• Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, Universitat de Lleida – Agrotecnio Center, Spain.
• Weed Science and Plant Ecology Group, University of Lleida, Spain.

Short Summary

This study evaluates the performance of camelina (Camelina sativa) under flood irrigation and rainfed conditions in Mediterranean Spain, demonstrating that a single 100 mm irrigation event can stabilize and increase yields to 3000 kg ha⁻¹. The findings suggest camelina is a viable, water-efficient alternative to traditional winter cereals in drought-prone irrigated systems.

Objective

• To compare the establishment, growth, and seed yield of three camelina varieties under rainfed and flood-irrigated Mediterranean conditions using various organic and inorganic fertilization sources.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Field experiments conducted at two locations in the Lleida province, Spain: Juneda (semiarid, flood-irrigated) and Montargull (sub-humid, rainfed).
• Temporal Scale: Two consecutive cropping seasons (2022–2023 and 2023–2024).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Logistic regression models to estimate the 50% flowering stage (F50) based on Growing Degree Days (GDD) with a base temperature of 4 °C.
• Data sources: On-site field measurements (plant density, height, biomass), local meteorological stations (RuralCat), and laboratory analysis (Bruker NMS 110 Minispect NMR Analyzer for seed oil content).
• Experimental Design: Randomized block design with two factors: three varieties (Calena, CO46, GP204) and four fertilization sources (pig slurry, manure compost, inorganic YaraMila Complex, and an unfertilized control).
• Irrigation: A single flood irrigation event of approximately 100 mm applied at the beginning of the flowering stage in the irrigated trials.

Main Results

• Yield Enhancement: Irrigated fields produced significantly higher yields (2100 to 3000 kg ha⁻¹) compared to rainfed fields (1000 to 2500 kg ha⁻¹).
• Drought Resilience: During a severe drought in 2022–23, a single 100 mm irrigation application allowed camelina to reach record yields (~3000 kg ha⁻¹), whereas rainfed yields dropped to 1000 kg ha⁻¹.
• Variety Performance: Calena was the most productive variety across environments, consistently showing the highest 1000-seed weight (~1.2 g).
• Fertilization: The impact of fertilization was inconsistent; unfertilized controls often yielded similarly to fertilized plots, suggesting camelina's high nutrient efficiency. Pig slurry showed a slight tendency to increase yield but occasionally reduced seed oil content.
• Oil Content: Maximum seed oil content reached 43% in irrigated fields or rainfed fields with favorable spring precipitation, but decreased under severe hydric stress or shortened cycles.

Contributions

• Demonstrates the high potential of camelina in flood-irrigated Mediterranean systems, where it requires significantly less water (one irrigation event) than traditional crops like barley, wheat, or rapeseed (two to three events).
• Provides quantitative evidence that camelina can achieve yields exceeding 2500 kg ha⁻¹ in semiarid regions when supported by minimal irrigation, offering a strategy for economic stability in climate change scenarios involving water restrictions.

Funding

• Operational Group Project Pre-FreCa, Cold Press Camelina: closing cycles (Project number 56-21-012-2021).
• Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Catalan Government.
• European Association for Innovation in Agriculture Sustainability and Production (AEI-Agri).

Citation

@article{Aritz2026Cropping,
  author = {Aritz, Royo-Esnal and Cantero-Martínez, Carlos and Codina-Pascual, Noemí},
  title = {Cropping camelina with flood irrigation under contrasting fertilization sources},
  journal = {Journal of Agriculture and Food Research},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jafr.2026.102650},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2026.102650}
}

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