Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and Soil Water Content on Seed and Oil Yield in Perennial Castor in a Mediterranean Environment
Castor (<i>Ricinus communis</i> L.) is an oilseed species that can be grown as a semi-perennial in Mediterranean environments, including the coastal areas of Sicily. The present study investigated the optimization of cultivation techniques for castor, with the crop being maintained over...
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/4/1070 |
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| author | Silvio Calcagno Alessandra Piccitto Cristina Patanè Salvatore L. Cosentino Giorgio Testa |
| author_facet | Silvio Calcagno Alessandra Piccitto Cristina Patanè Salvatore L. Cosentino Giorgio Testa |
| author_sort | Silvio Calcagno |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Castor (<i>Ricinus communis</i> L.) is an oilseed species that can be grown as a semi-perennial in Mediterranean environments, including the coastal areas of Sicily. The present study investigated the optimization of cultivation techniques for castor, with the crop being maintained over a two-year period, through the evaluation of different agronomical inputs in order to increase seed yield. The effects of irrigation (I) and nitrogen fertilization (N) on the seed and oil yield and their components were assessed in castor cultivated in a typical semi-arid environment. Four levels of irrigation (I0, I30, I60, and I100: 0, 30, 60, and 100% of crop evapotranspiration—ETm restoration, respectively) as the main plot and three levels of nitrogen fertilization (N) (0, 60, and 120 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup>) as the sub-plot were considered. Irrigation mostly affected the number of racemes per plant, the number of capsules per raceme, and the seed weight. The oil content was, on average, 39.2% and 45.6% for the first and second year, respectively. The highest seed yield was obtained by I100N120 treatment (4154.0 kg ha<sup>−1)</sup>; however, the combination of a high soil nitrogen level (N120) and medium water availability (I60) resulted in satisfactory seed and oil yields. The reduction in the irrigation water to an intermediate level could be also an environmentally friendly strategy not significantly affecting yields. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:20:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a89689a9464845338fc0c58f0caf6e86 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:20:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-a89689a9464845338fc0c58f0caf6e862023-11-17T17:57:09ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952023-04-01134107010.3390/agronomy13041070Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and Soil Water Content on Seed and Oil Yield in Perennial Castor in a Mediterranean EnvironmentSilvio Calcagno0Alessandra Piccitto1Cristina Patanè2Salvatore L. Cosentino3Giorgio Testa4Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, ItalyDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, ItalyCNR-Istituto per la BioEconomia (IBE), Unità di Catania, Via P. Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, ItalyDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, ItalyDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, ItalyCastor (<i>Ricinus communis</i> L.) is an oilseed species that can be grown as a semi-perennial in Mediterranean environments, including the coastal areas of Sicily. The present study investigated the optimization of cultivation techniques for castor, with the crop being maintained over a two-year period, through the evaluation of different agronomical inputs in order to increase seed yield. The effects of irrigation (I) and nitrogen fertilization (N) on the seed and oil yield and their components were assessed in castor cultivated in a typical semi-arid environment. Four levels of irrigation (I0, I30, I60, and I100: 0, 30, 60, and 100% of crop evapotranspiration—ETm restoration, respectively) as the main plot and three levels of nitrogen fertilization (N) (0, 60, and 120 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup>) as the sub-plot were considered. Irrigation mostly affected the number of racemes per plant, the number of capsules per raceme, and the seed weight. The oil content was, on average, 39.2% and 45.6% for the first and second year, respectively. The highest seed yield was obtained by I100N120 treatment (4154.0 kg ha<sup>−1)</sup>; however, the combination of a high soil nitrogen level (N120) and medium water availability (I60) resulted in satisfactory seed and oil yields. The reduction in the irrigation water to an intermediate level could be also an environmentally friendly strategy not significantly affecting yields.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/4/1070<i>Ricinus communis</i> L.seeds yieldoil yieldMediterranean environment |
| spellingShingle | Silvio Calcagno Alessandra Piccitto Cristina Patanè Salvatore L. Cosentino Giorgio Testa Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and Soil Water Content on Seed and Oil Yield in Perennial Castor in a Mediterranean Environment Agronomy <i>Ricinus communis</i> L. seeds yield oil yield Mediterranean environment |
| title | Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and Soil Water Content on Seed and Oil Yield in Perennial Castor in a Mediterranean Environment |
| title_full | Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and Soil Water Content on Seed and Oil Yield in Perennial Castor in a Mediterranean Environment |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and Soil Water Content on Seed and Oil Yield in Perennial Castor in a Mediterranean Environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and Soil Water Content on Seed and Oil Yield in Perennial Castor in a Mediterranean Environment |
| title_short | Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and Soil Water Content on Seed and Oil Yield in Perennial Castor in a Mediterranean Environment |
| title_sort | effects of nitrogen fertilization and soil water content on seed and oil yield in perennial castor in a mediterranean environment |
| topic | <i>Ricinus communis</i> L. seeds yield oil yield Mediterranean environment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/4/1070 |
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