A new scientific publication by Maria Giovanna Sessa and colleagues from University of Bologna and Novamont investigates the potential of autumn-sown camelina as an intermediate crop in double-cropping systems under Mediterranean conditions.

The study, titled “Double-cropping autumn-sown camelina with food crops and pelargonic acid application”, examined whether camelina can be successfully integrated into cropping systems while supporting both food production and the supply of feedstock for bio-based industries.

Over two growing seasons at the Experimental Farm of the University of Bologna, researchers evaluated two camelina varieties grown before sunflower and grain sorghum. The study also tested the application of pelargonic acid to accelerate camelina desiccation and allow earlier harvest, creating a larger time window for establishing the subsequent crop.

Results showed that the use of pelargonic acid enabled camelina harvest between 7 and 15 days earlier than harvesting at physiological maturity. While earlier harvest resulted in lower seed oil content, it also led to higher camelina seed yields.

Among the systems tested, the camelina–sunflower sequence achieved the strongest overall performance. The combination resulted in higher total seed production than sole sunflower cultivation and generated the highest gross revenue among the evaluated systems. By contrast, the camelina–sorghum sequence produced substantially lower seed yields compared with sole sorghum, indicating that further optimisation may be needed for this cropping combination.

The findings contribute to ongoing efforts within CARINA to develop sustainable and diversified agricultural systems capable of producing both food and renewable biomass. They also provide new insights into the role of intermediate crops in supporting the transition towards a circular and bio-based economy.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.123485