Row‐Spacing Interactions on Spring Canola Performance in the Northern Great Plains

Abstract

Introduction of hybrid and transgenic spring canola (Brassica napus L.) cultivars and production in a new geography prompt performance evaluation of these cultivar types. The objective was to determine interactions for commonly used research and commercial production row spacings with canola performance using contemporary open‐pollinated, hybrid, and transgenic cultivars. Two North Dakota rainfed sites were used during 1999, 2000, and 2001. Row spacings of 15 and 30 cm constituted the main plot, and one B. rapa and three B. napus cultivars (conventional and transgenic) comprised the subplot. Characters evaluated were days to first flower, duration of flowering, plant height, seed yield, plant lodging, and seed oil content. Row spacing and the row spacing × cultivar interaction were only significant for plant height. Shorter plant height for the B. rapa cultivar was found when grown at the narrower row spacing, but B. napus cultivars had similar plant height at both row spacings. The B. rapa cultivar had fewer days to first flower, shorter plant height, and lower yield than the B. napus cultivars. The hybrid B. napus cultivar yielded greater than the open‐pollinated cultivars. Cultivars did not differ for duration of flowering, plant lodging, and seed oil content. The environment × cultivar interaction showed greater character values at the northern Langdon environments compared with southern Prosper environments. Yield and seed oil content, the primary characters determining crop value, were not affected by row spacing. Similar crop performance from 15‐ and 30‐cm row spacings enables growers and researchers to utilize existing seeding equipment for optimum canola production.