EFFECTS OF SOWING DATE AND GLYCINE BETAINE APPLICATION ON YIELD COMPONENTS AND OIL YIELD IN CANOLA (Brassica napus L.)

Canola (Brassica napus L.) is one of the most important oil seed crops for human consumption. Effects of sowing date and glycine betaine application on yield and oil content of canola genotypes deserve attention. The present study therefore aimed to evaluate the effect of sowing date and glycine betaine on some traits of six canola genotypes (namely Elvis, HL2012, L155, KR2, HW113 and Danob). The genotypes were sown in three sowing dates (October 7, 17, and 27), for two years (2014-2015 and 2015-2016). A factorial split-plot experiment was conducted in a complete randomized blocks design with three replications, where the sowing dates and the two levels of glycine betaine (0 and 0.2%) were allotted to main plots and the genotypes were allotted to subplots. The main effects of sowing date, glycine betaine and genotype were significant for almost all measured traits. The first sowing date and the application of glycine betaine had a positive effect on the all measured traits. According to the result Danob and HL2012 genotypes with high yield and oil content were more suitable for cultivation in the studied area. At the end, the determination of sowing date and choosing a suitable genotype for each region are very important to obtain high yield.