To date, its main uses have been in the production of oil for human consumption and the recovery of oilcake for animal feed. However, there is growing interest in applications in cosmetics, green chemistry and the formulation of technical specialties. What's more, a French industry is currently developing around camelina grown in intercropping, specifically geared towards the production of sustainable aviation fuels.

A particularity of camelina is its short cycle - the camelina cycle can be completed in around 3 months - which makes it ideal for intercropping.

Furthermore, to decarbonize the aviation sector as part of the implementation of the European climate law, the European Union adopted the RefuelEU Aviation regulation in 2024. This regulation sets significant targets for the incorporation of biofuels by 2050.

Moreover, recent developments in the Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) have classified intercrop feedstocks as "advanced biofuels"(Annex 9A of RED II), making them eligible for the production ofaviation biofuel.

Thus, intercrop crops such as camelina represent one of the ways of achieving the objectives of integrating biofuels into aviation, which suggests that there will be considerable demand for them in the years to come.

What's more, camelina's low input requirements make it possible to adopt a technical itinerary with low greenhouse gas emissions, a necessity for its conversion into biofuel. Saipol, a subsidiary of the Avril Group, is working on the development of a camelina production chain based on intercropping.

Camelina oil belongs to the family of oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids, behind flax but ahead of hemp, walnut and rapeseed. Thanks to its high omega-3 content and optimal ω-3/ω-6 ratio, it offers interesting nutritional qualities for rebalancing our diets, which are currently too rich in omega-6 compared to omega-3.

What's more, its richness in antioxidants such as vitamin E ensures good stability and limits oxidation, compared with other omega-3-rich oils. It is mainly consumed for seasoning, but can also be used in the formulation of dietary supplements (authorized in 2019 by the Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes - DGCCRF).

Figure 2. fatty acid compositions of flax and hemp oils compared with those of other vegetable oils in the alpha-linolenic family (camelina, walnut, rapeseed and soybean). Morin et al. 2015, OCL

The human food market currently mainly concerns organically produced camelina, and remains a relatively undeveloped market.

Camelina oil is also used in the formulation of cosmetic products, notably for its high antioxidant content.

Research and industry are exploring a variety of applications for camelina oil and meal, such as the formulation of bioplastics, adhesive agents, biopesticides, bioherbicides, biostimulants, etc. The Carina project, for example, is exploring the valorization of camelina and Abyssinian mustard (brassicata carinata) for the formulation of biopesticides and biostimulants.

Camelina meal has a high protein content of around 45%, making it an interesting ingredient to include in animal feed rations.

A particularity of camelina is its very short cycle length, which also makes it suitable for intercropping.

Pure cultivation

Camelina can be grown pure as a main crop, with winter and spring varieties. In areas with mild climates (winter temperatures not exceeding -10°C), spring varieties can also be planted in autumn.
As a main crop, the proportion of organically-produced camelina is particularly high, thanks to its hardiness and resistance to pests and diseases, and to the opportunities for using the oil for human consumption.

In some countries of the southern Mediterranean basin, camelina is grown on so-called "marginal" land with low potential, which it valorizes well.

In combination

Camelina lends itself well to crop combinations, particularly in organic farming. The lentil-camel association is widely practiced, with camelina acting as a staking plant, thus limiting the risk of lentil lodging.

What's more, if planting conditions are favorable, camelina develops rapidly and is highly competitive with weeds at the rosette stage, in contrast to the generally slow initial development of legumes, which contributes to better weed control. Other camelina-legume combinations mentioned in the literature are camelina combined with pea, lupin or chickpea.

There are also references to camelina combined with barley or wheat, but these refer to competition between the two species and associated yield losses (M. Leclère's thesis on camelina insertion in Picardie).

The length of camelina's cycle, around 3 months for short-cycle varieties, means that it can be grown as a catch crop. Recent changes in the regulatory framework open up major market opportunities for intercropped camelina, such as sustainable fuel for aviation.

Summer intercropping

While camelina adapts well to a wide range of soil and climate conditions, a number of conditions must be met to maximize its chances of success in summer intercropping: sufficient rainfall during the planting period (late June - early July), few days of high temperature (35°C - 40°C) during flowering, and a sufficient temperature sum (1700°J base 0) to reach maturity before mid-October. These criteria exclude areas very far north and south of France.
To maximize chances of success, camelina in summer intercropping should be planted after an early-harvested preceding crop, such as barley or winter peas.

Winter intercropping

Camelina can also be intercropped in winter, before a late-sown spring crop such as sunflower or sorghum. The challenge for this type of succession is to harvest the camelina early enough, so as not to delay the sowing of the following crop too much and impact its yield potential.

It was widely cultivated until the early 20th century, producing an oil used in soaps and paints, before gradually disappearing in the face of competition from more productive oilseed crops such as rapeseed. At the time, the solid residues obtained after oil extraction were used as a feed supplement for livestock or as fertilizer; the stalks were used to make brooms.

Today, it is making a comeback on the European agricultural scene, and is attracting interest from a wide range of players, both farmers and manufacturers, thanks to its agronomic advantages and the new outlets it opens up.

Camelina has one major advantage: it adapts to a wide range of soil and climate conditions, and is particularly well suited to low-potential soils. It is often presented as a hardy crop, thanks to its low input requirements and resistance to drought and high temperatures. It is also fairly tolerant of pests and resistant to lodging. Camelina requires little fertilizer or pesticide, so its introduction into cropping systems has both economic and environmental benefits.

What's more, it doesn't require any special equipment, making it easy to introduce to farms. Nevertheless, due to its small seed size (PMG ≈ 1-1.5g), the planting and harvesting phases require adjustments and special attention.

An interesting feature of camelina is the length of its cycle, which varies according to variety and sowing period, from 90 to 250 days (1700 to 1900 degrees day at base 0°C, depending on variety). Camelina can therefore be grown as a main crop, in association with lentils, for example, or as a catch crop for short-cycle varieties (link to page on how to insert camelina into the SoC).

Its low input requirements, combined with its strong competitive power - provided it emerges regularly and evenly - mean that it has a place in organic farming rotations (link to organic farming page). Some farmers even report that it has an "allelopathic" effect, i.e. that it can naturally inhibit the growth of other undesirable plants around it. To our knowledge, this has not yet been demonstrated in the field.

All these advantages make it a crop that can be easily integrated into a variety of cropping systems in France and around the world, in both organic and conventional farming, as a main crop or as a catch crop.