Evaluating Growth, Seed Yield and Yield Attributes of Camelina (Camelina sativa L) in Response to Seeding Rate and Nitrogen Fertilizer Levels Under Irrigation Condition, Southern Ethiopia

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is an ancient oilseed crop. Camelina seed can be used as a food ingredient and raw material for the production of oil. The by-product of camelina oil used as fodder ingredient. But there is no information in Ethiopia about camelina production, so that an experiment was conducted at at Lambuda Hossana area, Southern Ethiopia to investigate the effect of different levels of nitrogen fertilizer on the yield and yield attribute along with different seeding rate of camelina in 2016 cropping year. The treatments were 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha -1 and Camelina seeding rate 5, 7.5, 10 and 12.5 kg ha -1. The experiment was laid out in RCBD design with three replications. The result revealed that application of nitrogen has significantly increased the seed yield camelina compared with the control. There was a steady increase in the seed yield of camelina for nitrogen levels from 100 kg ha -1 up to 150 kg ha -1 in the studyarea. Combined analysis of the two treatment factors data showed that still the highest yield was obtained at nitrogen level applied at of 150 kg ha-1 with seeding 10 ha -1. Seeding rate also varied significantly in their performance with respect to yield components and yield ha -1. Accordingly, 10 kg ha -1 performed best relative to the other three seeding rate. It is concluded that there is a significant and positive response of camelina to applied nitrogen and the highest biological and grain yield was obtained at nitrogen level of 150 kg ha-1 with seeding rate of 10kg ha -1. Thus it is recommended that nitrogen fertilizer should be applied in the area to mitigate nitrogen deficiency for enhanced camelina yield