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New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications

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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 44970

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Federica Zanetti

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Guest Editor

Department of Agriculture and Food Sciences (DISTAL), Università di Bologna – Alma Mater Studiorum, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Interests: agronomy and physiology of oilseed crops; biomass crops; natural rubber; protein crops; sustainable cropping systems; biobased products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Christina Eynck

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Co-Guest Editor

Saskatoon Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X2, Canada
Interests: early-season field phenotyping; agronomic performance; agricultural and biological sciences; sustainable oilseed crop; mustard and camelina mapping populations; biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology energy immunology and microbiology environmental science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oilseed crops are a valuable source of vegetable oils, which can be converted to biofuels and other biobased products through various chemical transformations. New oilseed crops are gaining the attention of both scientific and industrial audiences in view of their unique fatty acid compositions, new rotation options, and the ability to grow an oilseed crop on land where commodity oilseed production is not currently economically viable, creating opportunities for novel industrial applications and the replacement of petrochemical feedstocks with sustainable alternatives. The integration of new oilseed crops into existing agricultural systems requires research in areas ranging from genetic improvement and agronomic management to life cycle and value chain analyses. New oilseed crops include camelina, crambe, pennycress, carinata, Indian mustard, castor bean, safflower, cuphea, Andean lupine, hemp, and others. This Special Issue will focus on “New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications”. We welcome novel research and reviews covering a range of topics in oilseed crops, including crop genetics and improvement, production management, biodiversity, crop physiology, phytoremediation, integration of industrial oilseed crops into food cropping systems, growing oilseed crops on marginal land, modeling, lifecycle assessment, economics and marketing, and policy.

Dr. Federica Zanetti
Dr. Christina Eynck
Guest Editors

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Keywords

industrial crops
agronomic management
phytoremediation
plant breeding
genetics
fatty acid composition
green chemistry
sustainability
oleochemicals

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2012 KiB

Open AccessArticle

by Boris Kuzmanović, Sofija Petrović, Nevena Nagl, Velimir Mladenov, Nada Grahovac, Federica Zanetti, Christina Eynck, Johann Vollmann and Ana Marjanović Jeromela

Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 858; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11050858 - 28 Apr 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3630

Abstract

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is one of the oldest oilseed crops in Europe. Over the last twenty years, it has reemerged as a very promising alternative oilseed crop. Camelina has broad environmental adaptability, a wide range of resistances to pests and diseases, low-input requirements, and multiple industrial and feed applications exist for its seed oil and meal. In a multi-environment study conducted in Serbia, seven yield-related traits, including plant height (PH), height to the first branch (HFB), number of lateral branches (NLB), number of seed capsules per plant (NSCP), number of seeds per plant (NSP), mass of seeds per plant (MSP), and the total percentage of oil in the seed (TPOS), were analyzed in 20 spring camelina accessions. The combination of two years, two locations, and two sowing dates (autumn and spring) resulted in eight different environments across which the performance of the accessions was evaluated. The aims of the study were (a) to provide a phenotypic characterization and performance evaluation of the camelina accessions, (b) to identify correlations between the selected traits, and (c) to determine the effect of environmental factors on the traits. Environments contributed to the largest proportion in the total variance, explaining approximately 90% of the variance for all traits, except for NLB (70.96%) and TPOS (42.56%). The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model (AMMI) showed that the weather conditions, and seeding dates were the most influential environmental factor. Location had a minor to moderate effect on the investigated traits. Lines CK3X-7 and Maksimir had the highest seed yields, and CK2X–9 and CJ11X–43 had the highest seed oil contents. All four lines had good adaptability and yield stability, making them the most suitable candidates for cultivation in the environmental conditions of Serbia in southeastern Europe. The present results reveal a potential for developing higher-yielding camelina cultivars with increased seed oil content and improved adaptability to various environmental conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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14 pages, 1924 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Activities of Essential Oil of Atriplex semibaccata R.Br. Aerial Parts: First Assessment against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

by Hamza Zine, Manar Ibrahimi, Souad Loqman, Eleni G. Papazoglou, Soukaina Ouhaddou, Sara Elgadi, Yedir Ouhdouch, Rachid Hakkou, Mariam El Adnani and Ahmed Ouhammou

Agronomy 2021, 11(2), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11020362 - 17 Feb 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2952

Abstract

Atriplex semibaccata R.Br. is a perennial halophyte that has received much attention for studies of revegetation of marginal lands in arid and semi-arid environments. It was, recently, demonstrated that there are no risks in terms of contamination of essential oil (EO) from growing plant on such land. Interest in exploring the antibacterial and antioxidant potential of A. semibaccata EO has consequently been renewed. The objective of this study was to investigate the chemical composition, as well as the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of A. semibaccata EO. The antibacterial activity was evaluated against native (drug-sensitive) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria by testing the EO alone and in combination with conventional antibiotics. The chemical composition of EO was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 52 chemical compounds were identified, and 2-Methoxy-4-vinyl phenol (48.9%), benzaldehyde (6.7%), and benzyl alcohol (6.3%) were found to be the main constituents of EO. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity was evaluated using a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl reducing–scavenging test. The EO from this species possessed high antioxidant activity (938.65 μg TE/g EO). The antibacterial test demonstrated an inhibitory effect on six native and MDR bacterial strains. We found that Staphylococcus aureus (Gram+), Klebsiella pneumoniae (Gram−), and Escherichia coli (Gram−) were more sensitive than MDR strains, with an inhibition zone ranging from 11.16 mm to 12 mm. Moreover, the minimum inhibitory concentration ranged from 3.12 mg/mL to 6.25 mg/mL. The combination of gentamicin and EO revealed a high synergistic effect. The effect on S. aureus and K. pneumoniae showed lower fractional inhibitory concentration indices of 0.39 and 0.27, respectively. The results also revealed that A. semibaccata EO contained compounds with antibacterial potential against MDR bacteria, with antioxidant properties, and with a moderate synergistic effect in combination with gentamicin. The EO from A. semibaccata could be considered a new and potential source of natural antioxidant and antibacterial agents. These findings make A. semibaccata an excellent choice for the revegetation of marginal lands with the subsequent use of biomass for the production of EO with significant potential in the control of microbial infection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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13 pages, 3102 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stability and Variability of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz Economically Valuable Traits in Various Eco-Geographical Conditions of the Russian Federation

by Nina G. Kon’kova, Tatyana V. Shelenga, Gennadiy A. Gridnev, Alexandra G. Dubovskaya and Leonid L. Malyshev

Agronomy 2021, 11(2), 332; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11020332 - 13 Feb 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2863

Abstract

C. sativa is a valuable oilseed; it has a wide nutritional and technical use. The purpose of this study is a comprehensive study of C. sativa collection accessions in various ecological and geographical conditions to determine the environmental stability parameters. C. sativa All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) collection accessions served as a material source for the study. The study was conducted in four different ecological and geographical regions of the Russian Federation. In the factor structure of the environmental parameters variability two factors are identified covering 94.8% of the variability. The first factor is associated with the precipitation sum (PS) and the temperatures sum (TS) for the vegetation period (68.7%), the second factor is associated with the average daily temperature (TM) for the same period (26.1%). Analysis of the system of correlations between the parameters of stability and plasticity and the value of regression coefficients for meteorological indicators showed that for all the studied features, indicator b closely correlates with regression coefficients for the temperatures sum (TS) and average daily temperature (TM) for the vegetation period. Indicator S_d—with coefficients for the precipitation sum (PS) and average daily precipitation (PM). The result of the study made it possible to identify collection accessions of C. sativa with a high stable adaptability to the contrasting climatic conditions of the studied regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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10 pages, 681 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selectivity of Pre and Postemergence Herbicides in Single or Combined Applications in Castor Crop

by Augusto G. F. Costa, Valdinei Sofiatti, Cleber D. G. Maciel, Jalmi G. Freitas, Gleibson D. Cardoso and Larissa M. Wirgues

Agronomy 2021, 11(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010019 - 24 Dec 2020

Viewed by 2961

Abstract

One of the main challenges in castor crop (Ricinus communis L.) production is efficient weed management mainly due to limited options of selective herbicides. This study evaluated the selectivity of herbicides applied alone or in combination in pre- and postemergence applications in castor crop. Two field experiments were carried out under irrigation conditions in a semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil. It was found that the visual symptoms of phytointoxication of the herbicides used on castor were mild in both experiments. Consequently, there were no significant interferences on plant height, number of racemes, and grain (seed) yield. Pre-emergence applications (g ha⁻¹) of trifluralin (1800), pendimethalin (1500), clomazone (750), clomazone + trifluralin (750 + 1800), and clomazone + pendimethalin (750 + 1500) followed by chlorimuron-ethyl in postemergence (15 g ha⁻¹) are selective to castor. The application (g ha⁻¹) of pendimethalin + clomazone (1000 + 500) in pre-emergence, associated with chlorimuron-ethyl (10 and 15), metamitron (2800 and 4200), ethoxysulfuron (60 and 80), or halosulfuron-methyl (75 and 112.5) in one or two applications in postemergence, as single or split applications, in an interval of 14 days, are selective to castor crop. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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12 pages, 908 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating the Suitability of a Combine Harvester Equipped with the Sunflower Header to Harvest Cardoon Seeds: A Case Study in Central Italy

by Francesco Latterini, Walter Stefanoni, Simone Sebastiano, Gian Maria Baldi and Luigi Pari

Agronomy 2020, 10(12), 1981; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121981 - 16 Dec 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2465

Abstract

Cardoon seeds have been proved to thrive in the Mediterranean region, even under low input management and its biomass is suitable for several food and industrial uses. Despite that, a proper value chain has not been set properly and uncertainty still lays among producers and industries, particularly concerning the harvesting stage. The present study supports, via field trials, the hypothesis that cardoon seeds can be harvested using a conventional combine harvester equipped with the sunflower header. Theoretical field capacity (TFC), effective field capacity (EFC), and field efficiency (FE) were 2.36 ha h⁻¹, 2.05 ha h⁻¹, and 1.82 Mg h⁻¹, respectively, while harvesting costs were calculated as 69.52 € ha⁻¹. Seed loss was only 3.2% w/w of the potential seed yield. The machinery’s performance, costs, and seed loss are comparable with sunflower harvesting, underlying the possibility to use the available technology directly to harvest cardoon seeds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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21 pages, 3506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance and Potentiality of Camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) Genotypes in Response to Sowing Date under Mediterranean Environment

by Luciana G. Angelini, Lara Abou Chehade, Lara Foschi and Silvia Tavarini

Agronomy 2020, 10(12), 1929; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121929 - 08 Dec 2020

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3298

Abstract

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. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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16 pages, 1789 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is Drought Stress Tolerance Affected by Biotypes and Seed Size in the Emerging Oilseed Crop Camelina?

by Petar Čanak, Ana Marjanović Jeromela, Bojana Vujošević, Biljana Kiprovski, Bojan Mitrović, Barbara Alberghini, Erika Facciolla, Andrea Monti and Federica Zanetti

Agronomy 2020, 10(12), 1856; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121856 - 25 Nov 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3278

Abstract

One of the main advantages of camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) is its wide environmental adaptability and extreme drought tolerance. The availability of both winter and spring camelina biotypes, characterized by different seed sizes, raises the question about possible differences in their response to drought stress at the emergence stage. To address this, a germination test was set up in controlled conditions, comparing six winter and six spring genotypes with differing seed sizes (ranging from 1.83 to 0.88 g/1000-seeds) under increasing levels of osmotic stress (0, −0.4, −0.8, −1.2, −1.4, −1.6 MPa) using polyethylene glycol (PEG). Camelina withstands mild level of osmotic stress (−0.4 MPa) without significant decrease in germination. Even at −1.2 MPa after 10 d, it still had 75% germination. Significant differences in germination were observed between biotypes, where spring biotypes performed better than winter ones. Shoot and radicle lengths were significantly diminished by imposed osmotic stress, but shoot growth seemed more impacted. In general, spring biotypes had longer shoots and radicles than winter ones. Seed size played a role in the response of camelina to drought, but it depended on biotype and stress level imposed. In particular large seeded spring types had the highest germination percentage and resulted less impaired by osmotic stress, otherwise among the tested winter types the small seeded ones were the best performing. The presented data could be useful for breeding purposes for selecting the appropriate camelina type for sowing in drought-prone regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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16 pages, 3203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Leaf Nitrogen Traits in Response to Plant Density and Nitrogen Supply in Oilseed Rape

by Marcelo H. Labra, Paul C. Struik, Daniel F. Calderini and Jochem B. Evers

Agronomy 2020, 10(11), 1780; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10111780 - 13 Nov 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2567

Abstract

Understanding the response of plant nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) economies in oilseed rape, as well as their role in defining phenotypic plasticity, is necessary for designing new strategies to optimize plant and canopy C assimilation to improve potential yield. This paper aims to elucidate the extent to which the interaction between N supply and plant population density alters N distribution in oilseed rape plant (Brassica napus L.) and whether this interaction changes plant investment in leaf area or leaf mass per area. Spring oilseed rape was grown at two rates of N supply (50 and 150 kg N·ha⁻¹) and two plant population densities (50 and 150 plants·m⁻²). Photosynthesis, leaf area, leaf biomass, and N content of selected leaves were measured at 20% of flowers on main raceme open. The interaction between N supply and plant population density altered leaf N content per area, which is the main determinant of photosynthesis. This interaction also affected leaf mass per area, while N supply determined N content per unit leaf mass. These results suggest that the interaction between N supply and population density affects both nitrogen distribution and leaf mass per area, which could have important implications for light distribution and, therefore, for C assimilation at the plant level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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11 pages, 1585 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tolerance to Drought and Water Stress Resistance Mechanism of Castor Bean

by Eleni G. Papazoglou, Efthymia Alexopoulou, George K. Papadopoulos and Garifalia Economou-Antonaka

Agronomy 2020, 10(10), 1580; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101580 - 16 Oct 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2672

Abstract

Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is a multipurpose crop; its oil has numerous applications worldwide and the last decade demonstrated a growing international demand. The aim of this work was to investigate the level of castor bean tolerance to drought and its possession of a water stress resistance mechanism by applying three different water regimes in a glasshouse pot experiment conducted for two years. The treatments applied were 70% (T₇₀-control), 55% (T₅₅) and 40% (T₄₀) of the available soil moisture. The results showed that the growth parameters height, trunk diameter, and fresh and dry weights of leaves and stems were not affected by the moderate water scarcity (T₅₅), while they were significantly decreased by T₄₀. Significant decrease in leaf number was observed in both T₅₅ (17%) and T₄₀ (27%) plants, with a delay of 4 weeks in the lower treated plants. Leaf area was decreased by 54% and 20% in T₅₅ and T₄₀ respectively, indicating that its reduction was mainly due to a reduction of leaf size than of leaf number. The leaf water potential was increased negatively with increasing stress, showing a water loss and decrease of turgidity in cells. Stomatal resistance was significantly higher at the higher water scarcity and this response indicates a water stress resistance mechanism. This result was also confirmed by the regression analysis performed between stomatal resistance and leaf water potential. In conclusion, castor bean showed a tolerance ability under water stress conditions and its early physiological reaction allows its acclimatization to drought conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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14 pages, 1396 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) Analysis of Camelina Seedling Germination under Salt Stress Condition

by Zinan Luo, Aaron Szczepanek and Hussein Abdel-Haleem

Agronomy 2020, 10(9), 1444; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091444 - 22 Sep 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3389

Abstract

Camelina sativa is an important renewable oilseed crop for biofuel and feedstock that can relieve the reliance on petroleum-derived oils and reduce greenhouse gases and waste solids resulting from petroleum-derived oils consumption. C. sativa has recently seen revived attention due to its high oil content, high omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, short life cycle, broader regional adaptation, and low-input agronomic requirements. However, abiotic stress such as salinity stress has imposed threatens on plant photosynthesis and growth by reducing water availability or osmotic stress, ion (Na⁺ and Cl⁻) toxicity, nutritional disorders and oxidative stress yield. There still remains much to know for the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. In this study, a preliminary study applying 10 C. sativa cultivars to be treated under a gradient NaCl concentrations ranging from 0–250 mM and found that 100 mM was the optimal NaCl concentration to effectively differentiate phenotypic performance among different genotypes. Then, a spring panel consisting of 211 C. sativa accessions were germinated under 100 mM NaCl concentration. Six seedling germination traits, including germination rate at two stages (5-day and 9-day seedling stages), germination index, dry and fresh weight, and dry/fresh ratio, were measured. Significant correlations were found between the germination rate at two stages as well as plant biomass traits. Combining the phenotypic data and previously obtained genotypic data, a total of 17 significant trait-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for the germination rate at the two stages and dry weight were identified from genome-wide association analysis (GWAS). These SNPs are located on putative candidate genes controlling plant root development by synergistically mediating phosphate metabolism, signal transduction and cell membrane activities. These identified SNPs could provide a foundation for future molecular breeding efforts aimed at improved salt tolerance in C. sativa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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9 pages, 401 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Oil Content and Fatty Acid Composition in Castor Bean Naturalized Accessions under Mediterranean Conditions in Chile

by Celián Román-Figueroa, Mara Cea, Manuel Paneque and María Eugenia González

Agronomy 2020, 10(8), 1145; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10081145 - 06 Aug 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4259

Abstract

Castor bean is found in Chile between the Arica and Parinacota and Maule regions and is one the most important industrial crops worldwide because of the presence of ricinoleic acid in its oil. However, there is little information about it in our country. In this study, we analyzed the oil content and fatty acid profiles of 17 castor bean Chilean accessions from the Metropolitana and Valparaíso regions. The seed-oil was extracted using the Soxhlet extraction process, and the fatty acid profiles were determined using the GC-FID method. The oil content in castor bean Chilean accessions ranged between 45.7% and 54.0%. Among the 17 accessions analyzed, H-15 had the highest oil content (54.0%; p < 0.05), whereas the H-10 and H-08 accessions had the lowest oil content, (45.7% and 45.9%, respectively; p < 0.05). Ricinoleic acid was the most abundant fatty acid (between 87.64% and 89.83%) in the seed-oil. The highest level of ricinoleic acid was found in the H-08 accession. This was only statistically higher (p < 0.05) for three accessions, whereas the H-04 accession had the lowest ricinoleic acid content. Although the H-08 accession registered one of the least abundant oil contents, it had the highest amount of ricinoleic acid. No significant correlation was found between oil content and ricinoleic acid. Our study suggests that oil content does not influence the castor oil fatty profile. The high oil content and ricinoleic acid level registered in castor bean Chilean accessions justify their production in Chile and their utilization for developing bio-based products. Furthermore, Chilean castor bean could grow in semi-arid lands. However, further field studies are needed to identify the cultivars best suited for Mediterranean conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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10 pages, 1349 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Germination Patterns in Seeds Produced in Apical and Basal Fruits of Two Thlaspi arvense Populations

by Eva Edo-Tena, Russ W. Gesch and Aritz Royo-Esnal

Agronomy 2020, 10(5), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050756 - 25 May 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2474

Abstract

The aim of the present work is to study possible differences in the germination behavior of apical and basal seeds (produced in the upper and lower fruits of the infruitescence), of two populations of field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense), both produced in a Mediterranean and a continental temperate climate. The results showed that among the three studied factors (population, seed type, production site), only the production site was relevant for the total germination, germinating those produced in Morris in a greater amount than those produced in Lleida. Germination models could be applied only to seeds produced at Morris (>10% germination), and despite the lack of differences in the total germination percentage, germination rates (speed—b parameter—and time to 50% germination—G₅₀) differed between population and seed types—apical seeds from the Spanish population germinated faster (lower b parameter) than the rest, while apical seeds of both populations germinated faster than the corresponding basal seeds (lower G₅₀). The results show, on the one hand, the importance of the seed production site if this species was considered as a commercial oilseed crop and, on the other hand, differences that will help seed selection for seed germination and establishment improvement of pennycress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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Review

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17 pages, 1039 KiB

Open AccessReview

Crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst): A Non-Food Oilseed Crop with Great Potential: A Review

by Dulan Samarappuli, Federica Zanetti, Sara Berzuini and Marisol T. Berti

Agronomy 2020, 10(9), 1380; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091380 - 12 Sep 2020

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 6596

Abstract

Crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst) is an oilseed crop in the Brassicaceae family. Crambe’s ability to survive in diverse environmental conditions, its unique oil composition, the high oil content, suitability for the production of slip agents for plasticizers, the capacity to be easily included in common crop rotations, and its adaptability to equipment used for small grain cultivation has renewed the interest in this emerging crop. Crambe is considered one of the main sources of erucic acid, which can be up to 60% of its seed oil content. Erucic acid (C22:1) is a fatty acid with industrial importance since it is used to produce erucamide, key ingredient in the plastic industry. Inclusion of crambe into crop rotations can be beneficial because of its short life cycle, low fertility requirements, resistance to pest and diseases, and relative drought tolerance. Currently high erucic acid rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) (HEAR) is the principal source for erucic acid. However, the risk of contaminating food quality rapeseed (i.e., canola) by cross-pollination and the negative impact on climate, due to high inputs, are potential limitations to expand HEAR cultivation. Crambe has thus great potential to, at least, partially replace HEAR as a source of erucic acid, if the current knowledge-gap in agronomic management and crop improvement (seed yield and quality) can be addressed. Seed yield needs to be increased to be able to compete with HEAR. In addition, reducing glucosinolates and fiber in crambe meal may increase its inclusion in monogastrics rations. The objective of this review was to compile and summarize new and existing information on agricultural practices in crambe production and management to identify gaps in knowledge and areas for future research to increase the cultivation of crambe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Oilseed Crops for Biofuel and Biobased Applications)

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