Effects of different tillage system, seeding method and rates on yield and seed oil percentage of rapeseed

Rapeseed as one the most crops is the basic needs of human feeding in order to produce oil. A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of different tillage system, seeding method and rates on yield and its components, as well as, seed oil percentage of rapeseed (Brassica napus L. cv. Hyola-401) during 2011-12 growing season at Rice Research Institute of Iran-Department of Mazandaran (Amol). The study was carried out in a split-split-plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments included three tillage methods (no tillage, minimum tillage, and conventional tillage) as main plots, two seeding methods (hand-sowing and row planter) as sub plots and three seeding rates (6, 9, and 12 kg/ha) as sub sub plots. The results showed that the highest grain yield was obtained by applying minimum tillage method. The seeding methods had no significant effect on seed yield. The mean squares of oil seed percentage and 1000 seed weight in any of applied treatment were no significant, which was suggesting the stability of this trait in relation to applied treatments. Consequently, minimum tillage method by use of row planter and seed rate of 9 kg/ha was suggested for the best result in rice fields of Mazandaran for canola seed.