Evaluation of the Seed and Oil Yield, Yield Components and Agronomic Traits, and Correlation Cofficient in Some Sesame Genotypes in Behbahan, Southwest of Iran

Nitrogen rate and timing effects on meadowfoam oil yield and oil-yield components

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is regarded as one of the most important oilseed crops worldwide. An experiment was conducted to quantitatively examine the genetic parameters of oil yield, seed yield, and yield components for rapeseed by using a half diallel of nine rapeseed cultivars. The 36 F1 hybrids, their parents, and four other commercial varieties were planted in breeding nurseries in 2008 and 2009. During the growing season, the number of pods per plant (NPP), number of seeds per pod (NSP), pod length (PL), 1000 seed weight (SW), harvest index (HI), seed yield (SY), oil percent (OP), and oil yield (OY) were measured. The data were analyzed with the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model and its biplots. The first two principal components (IPC1 and IPC2) were used to create a two‐dimensional biplot. IPC1 accounted for 28.7% (SW in 2008) to 48.9% (OP in 2009) of the sum of squares of the male by female (M × F) interaction, while IPC2 accounted for 18.3% (PL in 2009) to 31.6% (number of seeds per pod in 2008) of the sum of squares of the M × F interaction. Two heterotic groups were identified for OY, and six between‐group crosses, that is, [Talaye, Modena, Opera] × [Fornax, Orient], would provide maximum heterosis for this trait. The AMMI analysis with the half diallel method identified not only the general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects but also the F1 crosses whose offspring may display heterosis in their offspring. The results can be used to design efficient breeding strategies in rapeseed.

Sulphur application increases seed yield and oil content in sesame seeds under rainfed conditions

With respect to the significance of medicinal plants, testing methods, which may enhance their performance, can be important agriculturally and economically as well as from healthy points of view. Hence, grain oil content and yield components of the medicinal plant, safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L., cultivar IL-111), were evaluated in a field experiment. Treatments including co-inoculation with Azotobacter chroococcum and the Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi Glomus intraradices at different rates of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) fertilization including F0: control, F1: N50 + P25, F2 = N100 + P50, and F3 = N150 + P75 kg ha−1 were tested. The experiment was conducted in the spring of 2006 as a factorial on the basis of a completely randomized block design in three replicates. Grain oil content and yield components were determined. A. chroococcum increased plant N content. The two- (fungi and fertilization) and three-way (bacteria, fungi, and fertilization) interactions significantly affected grain oil content and weight of 1,000 grain, respectively. While chemical fertilization significantly decreased oil percentage, the bacterium and the fungus significantly increased oil percentage. However, for the oil content the combination of microbes with chemical fertilization resulted in the highest oil content. The effective co-inoculation of safflower with A. chroococcum and G. intraradices by increasing oil content and yield components suggests the effectiveness of this biological method for safflower production as well as a favorite partial replacement for N and P fertilization. The effects of biological fertilization on the enhancement of seed nutritional values may be more pronounced than chemical fertilization.

A field study was conducted to investigate the influence of variable rates of application of N and P fertilizers in splits at various times on the growth and the seed and oil yields of canola (Brassica napus L.) during 1995–97. Rates of fertilizer application were 0 and 0 (F0), 60 and 0 (F1), 0 and 30 (F2), 60 and 30 (F3), 90 and 60 (F4) and 120 and 90 (F5) kg N ha−1 and kg P2O5 ha−1. All the P was applied at sowing while N was applied in splits, i.e. all at sowing, half at sowing and half with first irrigation, or half at sowing and half at flowering. The responses of growth, seed yield and components of yield were consistent in both years. Increasing the rate of fertilizer application from F4 (90/60 kg N/P2O5 ha−1) to F5 (120/90 kg N/P2O5 ha−1) increased the leaf area index (LAI) relative to the control and to lower rates of fertilizer application. For both crops, application of 90/60 kg N/P2O5 ha−1 significantly enhanced total dry matter (TDM) and seed yield. Seed yield increased mainly due to a greater number of pods per plant and seeds per seed‐pod. The time of fertilizer application did not significantly affect seed yield or components of yield in either season. Oil yield generally followed seed yield, increasing with increasing rate of fertilizer application up to 90/60 kg N/P2O5 ha−1. The maximum oil contents were obtained from the control. The results show that seed and oil yields of canola were maximized at the F4 (90/60 kg N/P2O5 ha−1) rate of application under the agro‐ecological conditions of Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Future development of high‐yielding meadowfoam (Limnanthes R. Br. spp.) cultivars may be enhanced if relationships between oil yield, yield components, and agronomical, phenological, and morphological traits can be established. To identify such relationships, two half‐sib L. floccosa Howell ssp. grandiflora Arroyo × L. alba Hartw. ex Benth. ssp. alba lines, ORL85‐765 and ORL85‐729, and ‘Mermaid’ meadowfoam were grown and compared in solid stand in 1987–1988 and 1988–1989 at the Oregon State University Schmidt Farm. Line 85‐765 produced the greatest oil yield in 1987–1988. Seed weight of line 85‐765 was 18 and 13% greater (P < 0.05) than lines 85‐729 and Mermaid, respectively, in 1987–1988. In 1988–1989, both lines 85‐765 and Mermaid produced greater oil yields than line 85‐729. Line 85‐765 produced a 7% greater seed weight and Mermaid produced 55% more seeds per flower than line 85‐729 (P < 0.05). Oil yields of lines 85‐765 and Mermaid were not significantly different in 1988–1989. Seed weight of line 85‐765 was 9% greater than Mermaid in 1988–1989, but Mermaid produced 31% more seeds per flower than line 85‐765 (P < 0.05). Seed weight differences were apparently due to variation in seed growth rate and not seed growth duration. Differences in seeds per flower were not related to pollinator activity or flower phenology. Both seed weight and seed number per flower were important yield components for determining the relative oil‐yield performance of lines 85‐765, 85‐729, and Mermaid.

Seed yield in soybean is associated with other yield components. The objective of the study was to investigate the pattern of relationship between seed yield and yield components in soybean. Agronomic characters and seed yield of 147 soybean homozygous lines (HL) and 3 check cultivars (Dega 1, Detap 1, and Anjasmoro) were evaluated in Banyuwangi (East Java, Indonesia) from April to July 2018. The field experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with 2 replications. After threshing, the HLs were grouped into large seed size (> 14.00 g/100 seeds) and medium seed size (10 - 14 g/100 seeds). The causation and inter-relationship between yield components and seed yield were quantified using path analysis. Based on the seed size, a total of 150 HLs was grouped into 97 lines and 53 lines of large and medium seed size, respectively. The correlation analysis showed a similar pattern between groups of large and medium seed size. The seed yield in both groups was highly determined by the characters of the number of filled pods, number of nodes, number of branches, plant height, and wet biomass. The results of path analysis revealed that plant age, particularly the length of the generative phase, was an important factor affecting seed yield in large seed soybean lines. The length of the generative phase determining the soybean yield in this study can be suggested to be used as selection criteria to obtain high yielding and large seed size variety. HIGHLIGHTS The investigation on the pattern of relationship between seed yield and yield components in soybean The path analysis to quantify the causation and inter-relationship between yield components and seed yield The soybean seed yield was highly determined by the characters of the number of filled pods, number of nodes, number of branches, plant height, and wet biomass The length of the generative phase could be used as selection criteria to obtain high yielding and large seed size soybean variety

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is among the oldest cultivated oilseed crops and is regarded as the “queen of oil seeds” because of its oil quality. Since sesame is cultivated in harsh environments, its seed yield is greatly affected by adverse conditions, such as drought. Therefore, we undertook a 2‐yr experiment to understand the effects of deficit irrigation on yield, yield components, oil percentage, water use efficiency, and stress indices of six sesame genotypes. The experiment was conducted at Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Karaj, located in the semi‐arid region of Iran, during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. Deficit irrigation was induced by irrigating after 80% available water depletion, and irrigating after 40% available water depletion was considered to be normal irrigation. Among the genotypes, Oltan and USA‐ns‐96 produced the maximum seed and oil yield. Stress indices analysis revealed that the Sudan‐94 genotype was the most tolerant to deficit irrigation, and the Dashtestan‐2 genotype was the most sensitive. In addition, the Sudan‐94, USA‐ns‐96, and Oltan genotypes showed the highest yield stability index and relative stress index. Regarding drought tolerance, the Sudan‐94 genotype performed the best with minimum reduction in seed yield and other agronomic traits. Overall, these results suggest that the Sudan‐94 genotype is the most drought‐tolerant genotype with the maximum yield stability. Moreover, this study highlights the possibility of using Sudan‐94 genotype in future breeding programs.

مطالعه با هدف شناسایی برخی شاخص‌های فیزیولوژیک و زراعی مناسب برای گزینش ژنوتیپ‌های متحمل به خشکی کلزای بهاره اجرا گردید. آزمایش به‌صورت کرت‌های خرد شده بر پایه بلوک‌های کامل تصادفی با سه تکرار در ایستگاه خسروشاه مرکز تحقیقات و آموزش کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی آذربایجان شرقی طی دو سال زراعی 1394 و 1395 اجرا گردید. فاکتور اصلی تنش کمبود آب با سطوح: بدون تنش، تنش از زمان گل‌دهی و از خورجین‌دهی تا رسیدگی و فاکتور فرعی ژنوتیپ شامل: RGS003، ظفر، ساری گل، زرفام و دلگان بودند. نتایج نشان دادند بروز خشکی از مراحل گل‌دهی و خورجین‌دهی باعث افزایش معنی‌دار دمای برگ و کاهش معنی‌دار مقدار نسبی آب برگ (RWC)، هدایت روزنه، شاخص کلروفیل برگ، تعداد خورجین در بوته، تعداد دانه در خورجین، وزن هزار دانه، درصد روغن، عملکرد دانه و روغن گردید ولی بیشترین تأثیرپذیری به هنگام وقوع تنش از مرحله گل‌دهی بود. بنابراین تأمین آب در این مرحله اولویت بیشتری خواهد داشت. کمبود آب با اثر کاهشی روی همه اجزای عملکرد باعث افت عملکرد دانه گردید. همبستگی‌های معنی‌داری بین دمای برگ، RWC ، شاخص کلروفیل برگ و هدایت روزنه با همدیگر و با عملکرد دانه و روغن و اجزای عملکرد دانه دیده شد. شاخص‌های مذکور از کارایی قابل قبولی در شناسایی اثرات کمبود آب روی ژنوتیپ‌های بهاره کلزا برخوردار بودند. ژنوتیپ RGS003 با کسب بیشترین مقدار نسبی آب برگ، هدایت روزنه و شاخص کلروفیل برگ، همواره بیشترین عملکرد دانه و روغن را به خود اختصاص داد و برای کشت در شرایط مواجه با کمبود آب قابل توصیه است.

Multi-year studies are crucial for the evaluation of sunflower hybrids and quantifying the environmental effect in the expression of genetic potential. In order to assess the adaptation of eight hybrids and test the impact of water availability on plant height (PH), head diameter (HD), 1000-grain weight (TWG), hectolitre mass (HM), seed yield (SY), oil content (OC) and oil yield (OY), a two-year study was conducted with irrigation as treatment. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed the year influence on all tested agronomic traits. According to the three-way ANOVA, irrigation significantly affected all tested traits except HD, OC and OY. All agronomic traits had lower values in both rainfed and irrigated treatment in 2014, confirming the influence of the environment. The hybrid was a significant source of variation for all traits. ANOVA and PCA grouped hybrids 1, 7, and 8 in one group and 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in another. The first group had lower PH, HD, TGW and SY values and higher HM, OC and OY values, and the second group had reversed traits values. Furthermore, the PCA biplot indicates SY was positively correlated with PH, HD, TGW and OY and HM was positively correlated with OC. This facilitates the breeding process because it enables indirect breeding for economically important traits such as seed yield, oil content and oil yield. As treatments were significant sources of variation for PH, HM, TWG and SY, sunflower irrigating is considered justified and can be used as an additional agrotechnical measure to target the agronomic traits. Understanding the expression of traits under rainfed and irrigation conditions will greatly help design effective breeding programs by creating hybrids suitable for cultivation in semi-arid environments.

A field experiment was conducted at the College of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research station, University of Basrah, Karma Ali site, in Basrah Governorate for the two agricultural seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, in order ascertain the impact of concentrations of gibberellin G0=0, G1=200, and G2=400 mg L−1), and spraying with ethephon E0=0, E1=0.75, and E2=1.5 ml L−1), on yield and some quality characteristics of rapeseed crop. Var. Pactol. The experiment was designed according of factorial experiments in three replications, utilizing randomized complete blocks (RCBD). The results obtained showed a superiority of G2 concentration in yield of seeds (2.58 and 2.73 tons ha−1), proportion of protein (17.17 and 18.72%), and protein yield (0.45- and 0.53 tons ha−1) throughout the course of the two seasons, and oil percentage and oil yield for the first season only, which amounted to 38.67% 0.98 tons ha−1 respectively. Additionally, the outcomes showed that foliar spray treatments with ethephon at concentration E2 significantly affected for both seasons, on yield of seeds (2.59 and 2.90 tons ha-1), oil yield (0.97 and 1.10 tons ha−1), and protein yield (0.44 and 0.55 tons ha−1). Gibberellin and ethephon have a substantial interaction in terms of seed production and oil yield, and protein yield during its second season. The combination E2x G1 had the greatest average seed yield, the yield was 3.15 tons ha−1 and did not substantially differ from the G2xE2 combination, with an average of 3.00 tons/ha-1. The combination G1xE2 achieved the highest average for the oil and protein yield, about 1.19 and 0.61 tons ha−1 respectively.

The experiment was carried out to access the inter relationship of genotypes in their oil yield with seed yield, oil content and other yield components  and to determine cluster of white seeded sesame genotypes  and environments based on their oil yield. Seventeen sesame genotypes were tested at six environments in northern Ethiopia during 2015 main season. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Designs (RCBD) with three replications across all the environments. Seed yield had a significant and positive correlation (P≤0.01) with number of branches (r = 0.414) and number of capsules (r =0.468). Positive correlation seed yield with number of capsules and number of capsules indicated that better yield can obtain from highly branched plants and high number of capsules because the number of capsules increases with the degree of branching. Seed yield was negative significant correlated with days to maturity (r =-0.500) and flowering time (r = -0.626), significant at (p≤0.05) and (p≤0.01), respectively. The negative association between seed yield and days to flowering and maturity indicated that moisture stress after flowering might have caused relatively a yield reduction in the late maturing genotypes. Whereas, the early flowering and early maturing genotypes can escape the moister stress conditions. Based on the cluster analysis of 17 white seeded sesame genotypes classified in to different four distinct clusters. Cluster II, III and IV had high mean yield, oil content and oil yield than the other clusters. Genotypes grouped in those clusters had also greater genetic divergence important for farther yield, oil yield and oil content improvement program breeding in northern Ethiopia. Sesame growing environments also clustered in to four groups. Environments grouped in Cluster I, II and IV had high seed yield, oil content and oil yield. Hence, environments grouped in those clusters are important for seed yield, oil content and oil yield production improvement program in the study areas.   Key words: Cluster analysis, correlation, dendrogram.

Improving the seed yield of oilseed flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important issue to meet the growing demand for this crop. This study was conducted to determine whether various aspects of oilseed flax growth could be manipulated through P under the arid and semiarid conditions in China. The effects of P on oilseed flax phenological stages, seed yield, yield components, biomass growth rate (BGR), and phosphorus uptake rate (PUR) were investigated at Zhangjiakou, China. The Baxuan 3 flax cultivar was grown on a P deficient soil, to which four rates of P fertilizer were applied (0, 15, 30, and 45 kg P ha−1). Our results indicated that the application of P increased the number of capsules per plant, seed weight, seed yield, and the oil yield by 20, 19, 44, and 56%, respectively, compared with the 0P control treatment. At 30 kg P ha−1, the apparent phosphorus recovery efficiency (APE) was higher than those at 45 kg P ha−1. However, at 15 kg P ha−1, agronomic efficiency (AE) was higher than those at 30 and 45 kg P ha−1. The seed‐filling period, the growth rates (biomass, economic, and seed) and the P uptake rates (biomass, economic, and seed) were significantly improved by P application. A linear positive relationship was found between seed yield and number of capsules per plant, seed weight, growth rates, and P uptake rates. The results suggest the addition of P fertilizer enhanced growth and P uptake, and increased seed yield of oilseed flax.Core Ideas The effect of P application on key biomass growth rate and P uptake rate indices. Phosphorus increase number of capsules per plant, mean seed weight, seed‐filling period and days to maturity. Phosphorus promotes the growth of oilseed flax, P uptake, and increase the seed yield and oil yield.

A field experiment of drip-irrigated Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) was conducted at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture (Saba-Basha), Alexandria University, Egypt. The farm is located at Abees region 31˚ 10.102′ N and 29˚ 58.085′ E with altitude of (-5m) under sea level, during 2013 growing season. The aim of the present study was initiated to assess the effect of irrigation regimes under drip irrigation method on sunflower growth, water consumptive use, water use efficiency and yield and yield components. The sunflower variety Sakha 53 was planted sowing date at 28th April. Seeds were sown at 4-5 seeds in each hill with spacing of 0.3 m within each row and 0.6 spacing, then thinned to one plant after 2 weeks from sowing. After emergence, the plots were irrigated by the drip irrigation method. All field practices were done as usually recommended for sunflower cultivation. The present study consisted of 5 treatments. The irrigation treatments were based on replenishment of soil water depletion according to reference evapotranspiration (ET0). The irrigation treatments were: Irrigation at 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% of ET0. At harvest time (103 days after planting), some morphological characteristics of sunflower were determined such as: plant height (cm), stem diameter (cm), head diameter (cm), leaves weight (g), head weight (g), seeds weight/ head (g), 100 seeds weight and yield (ton ha-1), seed oil content(%) and oil yield (ton ha-1). Also, root weight (g), length (cm), width (cm), chlorophyll content and some elemental contents. The results indicated that increasing the amount of irrigation water significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, head diameter, leaves weight/plant, head weight/plant, seeds weight/ head, 100 seeds weight, seed yield and oil yield. Also, root weight, length and width. The irrigation with 80 or 100% of ET0 has the same significant effect, thus the best irrigation is with 80% of ET0. Also, the value of water use efficiency of sunflower was decreased with increasing the amount of applied water. The increase in sunflower yield was due to both increase in yield content and oil yield in which sunflower yield was adversely affected by water deficit.

Seed and oil yields, their components, and the relationships among trait performance were determined in 25genotypes of winter type oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). The experiment was carried out at the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of East Azerbaijan, Iran, in two consecutive growing seasons 2009-10 and 2010- 11. Significant differences were observed in plant height, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 1000- seed weight, harvest index, and seed and oil yield. Cluster analysis divided the genotypes into two groups based on the studied traits. One group consisted of 16 genotypes with low and the other included 9 genotypes with high seed and oil yield. Based on observations, genotypes SW102, HW101, HW111, L62, L72, L139, SW104, Karaj1, and Karaj2 showed high seed and oil yields and would therefore be suitable for the Tabriz plain and areas with similar conditions and for selecting genotypes tolerant to environmental stress. A positive correlation was found between plant height and number of seeds per pod, and seed and oil yields. Number of pods per plant contributed more to seed yield among seed yield components. Harvest index and 1000-seed weight had the highest and the lowest indirect effects on oil yield, respectively. It appears that harvest index and plant height are important features for selectingwinter type oilseed rape genotypes for Tabriz plain and areas with similar conditions.