The Effects of Nitrogen and Sulfur on the Performance of Camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) in a Drought-Prone Region

Low soil fertility in semi-arid areas is a significant issue affecting agricultural output, and climate change has further worsened this problem. Nutritional management, such as applying elements with complementary interactions appear to enhance the growth and yield of oilseed crop systems. A field trial was conducted to assess the impact of various sulfur fertilizer rates (0, 25, 50, and 75 kg ha-1 designated as S0, S25, S50, and S75, respectively) and nitrogen fertilizer levels (0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 kg ha-1 designated as N0, N40, N80, N120, and N160, respectively) on the growth and productivity of Camelina in the northwestern part of Iran. As nitrogen application rates increased, traits such as plant height (57%), relative water content (1%), number of lateral branches (86%), and greenness indices (55%) showed notable increases. However, application of high levels of nitrogen (N160) reduced relative leaf water content and the number of siliques per plant. The impact of nitrogen application on these traits was greater than that of sulfur application. Nevertheless, the most beneficial effect of sulfur was achieved with the S50 application. Assessing grain yield while considering the economic implications of fertilizer use showed that applying N80+S50 (1312 kg ha⁻¹) is more rational. Overall, the results showed that using N80+S50 saved nitrogen fertilizer and achieved acceptable economic performance. Increasing the productivity of Camelina production systems in the studied semi-arid region requires soil amendment with sulfur.