Growth, yield, and yield stability of canola in the Northern Great Plains of the United States

Abstract

AbstractCanola (Brassica napus L.) may diversify wheat‐based cropping systems in the Northern Great Plains. However, agronomic adaptability and stability of high‐yielding genotypes have not been widely evaluated over the diverse environmental conditions of South Dakota (SD). A 2‐year field experiment was conducted in two contrasting environments (Brookings—eastern SD and Pierre—Central SD) to evaluate genotypes (10 in 2019 and 12 in 2020) for days to 50% flower, lodging, pods plant−1, seed yield, 1000‐seed weight, and yield stability. Seed yield for all genotypes in Brookings averaged 1961 and 1740 kg ha−1, in 2019 and 2020, respectively, whereas at Pierre, yields averaged 1470 and 858 kg ha−1. Seed oil concentration was greater at Brookings (456 and 406 g kg−1 in 2019 and 2020, respectively) than at Pierre (356 g kg−1 in 2019). The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model (AMMI) evaluated eight genotypes across locations and years for genotype × environment (GE) interactions and stability. Environment was the most dominant cause of variation among genotypes, explaining 67.7%, 41.4%, and 45.7%, of the variations in pods plant−1, 1000‐seed weight, and seed yield, respectively, whereas GE explained most of the remaining variation. A combination of AMMI‐1 biplots and AMMI stability values found variability in genotypic response to environments for seed yield suggesting cultivar recommendations should be environment specific.