Abstract
Brassicaceae crops offer promising oil feedstocks for central and southern Italy. This two-year investigation evaluated Brassica carinata A. Braun, cultivar CT 204, at three sites in Apulia and one in Basilicata. The work sought management approaches suited to four distinct marginal environments and assessed the crop’s prospective contribution to biodiesel production.
The comparisons covered minimum and conventional tillage, lower and higher sowing densities, several nitrogen supply levels and organic fertiliser treatments. The crop adapted well across the study environments. Higher nitrogen supply improved yield at three sites, while reducing mechanical operations through minimum tillage did not reduce crop production or seed-oil content.
At one Apulian site, the higher tested sowing density produced the strongest crop performance. Its greatest seed-oil content occurred with the lower nitrogen treatment. At the Basilicata site, compost combined with mineral nitrogen and treated organic residual material delivered results comparable with mineral fertiliser. This indicated that organic nutrient sources could partly or fully replace mineral fertiliser under the conditions evaluated there.
Key findings
- Brassica carinata demonstrated useful adaptability across four contrasting marginal environments.
- Minimum tillage maintained both production and seed-oil content in the study.
- Crop response to nitrogen and sowing density varied by site, supporting locally tailored management.
- Selected organic nutrient treatments performed comparably with mineral fertiliser at one location.
- Seed yield and oil content indicated potential for biodiesel feedstock production under site-specific Agronomy Journal.
Study design
The investigation combined field-scale comparisons across the Murgia foreland, the Daunian sub-Apennines, the Salento area and the hills of Basilicata. Rather than seeking one universal prescription, it tested how establishment and nutrient choices interacted with each growing environment.
Editorial note
This record summarises the study’s abstract and bibliographic context. Consult the available full-text formats for experimental detail, treatment rates, statistical analysis and complete results.