Effect of sowing dates on growth, yield and quality of three canola cultivars (Brassica Napus L.)‎

Abstract EN

The study included two field experiments for canola (Brassica napus L.) conducted during two winter successive seasons 2007-2008, 2008-2009 at AL-Rashidia location which is lies about (20 km) west north mosul city.

The main objective was to find out the effect of sowing dates in the growth, yield and quality of three canola cultivars.

Each experiment was conducted according to factorial experiment in a randomized completely block design with three replications.

Each experiment included three sowing dates (1, 15 and 30 October) with three cultivars of canola crops (Topas, Emma and Monty).

The results could be summarized as : The second planting date (15 October) gave the highest rate of prescriptions of plant height, number of primary branches, leaf area index, number of silique / plant, dry weight (g.) / plant, number of seed / silique, weight of thousand seed (g.), total yield and oil yield (ton.ha-1).

While the first planting date (1October) gave the highest percentage of oil in seeds in both seasons .The cultivars effected significantly all the related characteristics, the Emma cultivar come over the other cultivars in plant height / cm, number of branches / plant, number of silique / plant, leaf area index, dry weight gm.

/ plant, number of seed / silique, 1000 seeds weight (g.) seed yield (ton.ha-1), oil percentage of seeds and oil yield (ton.ha-1) in both seasons .The interaction between sowing dates and cultivars significantly in some of the characteristics of growth, yield and quality, the Emma variety with all sowing dates (1, 15 and 30 October) gave highest value for each plant height / cm, number of branches / plant, number of seed / silique and the proportion of oil in a planting date 2008, While The interaction between sowing dates and cultivars was significant in leaf area index and number of seed / silique in only 2009 season.