In situ quality evaluation ofCamelina sativalandrace

Camelina sativa is an alternative, low input oilseed crop with oil of high nutritional value. In Slovenia, C. sativa landrace has been grown by local farmers in the Koroška region since the middle of the 20th century. In our study, we determined oil and glucosinolate content (GLS) of camelina seed and free fatty acid (FFA), peroxide value (PV), iodine value (IV), tocopherol contents (T), and fatty acid profile of camelina oil from ten locations over three consecutive growing seasons. The oil content ranged from 28.78 to 40.21%, while IV, PV, and FFA fell into a range that makes this oil useful in various nutritional applications. Camelina was remarkably rich in essential n − 3 α‐linolenic acid (33.32–37.65%) and γ‐T (532–798 mg/kg) in oil, and GLS (16.39–41.43 µmol/g) in seed. Due to observed variability, it seems that the seed and oil characteristics of C. sativa landrace are affected by the local environmental conditions at a specific farm location and by variable genotypes between farms as a result of a more than half a century of environmental selection. Practical applications: Camelina sativa landrace in Koroška, Slovenia has a long history. The agricultural environment together with the traditional diet of this region ensures preservation of this landrace and limits diffusion of modern hybrids. This plant variety has not been characterized yet. The important seed and oil quality parameters presented in this work will be useful for the determination of the nutritional value of the oil, recognizing Slovenian camelina oil as a unique vegetable oil with specific geographic origin as well as focal point for plant breeders.