Canadian breeders work to boost camelina yields

Canadian science is making strides in camelina breeding. Researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) are actively working to enhance the yields of both winter and spring varieties of this valuable oilseed crop, opening new opportunities for farmers, according to the agricultural portal Grainews.

Led by Dr. Christina Eynck, federal researchers within the Diverse Field Crops Cluster (DFCC) are focusing on three key objectives: developing winter camelina, advancing spring varieties, and expanding the crop’s genetic diversity.

Winter camelina is an attractive option for crop rotations, supporting root growth in the fall, suppressing weeds, and efficiently utilizing spring moisture. However, its genetic pool is limited. Eynck’s team addressed this by exploring beyond existing varieties, resulting in a promising new winter variety, “Noel,” derived from the control variety “Joelle.”

Field trials in Saskatchewan (Indian Head, Saskatoon, Redvers) yielded impressive results: the top nine lines outperformed the control (“Joelle”) by 32%, with the highest yield reaching nearly 3,900 kg/ha. The second-highest yielding variety stood out for its larger seeds (1.6 g/1,000 seeds compared to 1.1 g for the control).

A key breakthrough was successful germination with mid-October seeding, expanding the planting window. The crop also demonstrated strong agronomic traits and improved resistance to downy mildew.

By 2026–2027, researchers aim to develop a population of 1,000 unique recombinant lines.

Tags: Canada, camelina