Yield Stability and Seed Shattering Characteristics of Brassica juncea Canola in the Northern Great Plains

Abstract

Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. (juncea) canola has potential to become an alternative oilseed crop, but the yield stability and harvestability in northern latitudes is largely unknown. In this study, we determined seed yield and yield stability, seed shattering characteristics, and harvestability in comparison with conventional B. napus L. (napus) canola and B. juncea mustard. Six Brassica crops were tested at eight site‐years in western Canada from 2010 to 2011. Plants were harvested using straight combining on both “early” and “late” dates. Two hybrid napus canola cultivars produced seed yield averaging 2180 kg ha−1, which was 33% greater than hybrid juncea canola, 22% greater than ‘Clearfield’ juncea canola, and 80% greater than conventional juncea canola. The early compared with the late harvest reduced shattering yield loss by 16% for napus canola and 8% for the rest of the brassicas. At two sites, plants lost an average of 10,170 seeds m−2 from maturity to harvest, which translates to a seed yield loss of 366 kg ha−1; at the remaining sites, plants lost 2260 seeds m−2, which translates to a yield loss of 82 kg ha−1. We conclude that hybrid juncea canola can be used to diversify oilseed cropping systems, but the currently available juncea canola cultivars with the seed yield 27% lower than hybrid napus canola may limit its large‐scale adoption.