Effect of Sowing Date on Some Agronomical Characteristics of Rye Cultivars in Iraq

The introduction of rye cultivation in Iraq necessitates the implementation of agrotechnological experiments. Two-year irrigated field experiments were carried out in Al-Muthanna Governorate (in the southwestern region of Iraq) in 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 to evaluate the performance of three European rye cultivars introduced to Iraq, focusing on the most significant agronomical and morphological characteristics. Three sowing dates (01 November, 15 November and 01 December) were tested in a split plot, randomized complete block design. We observed that both the cultivar and sowing date, but not the crop year, influenced the studied characteristics. In general, the early sowing dates enhanced the growth and development of rye and resulted in a higher yield compared to the later sowing dates. We observed that all evaluated rye cultivars can be grown safely in the agroclimatic and soil characteristics of this region. The grain yield was 3.1, 4.2 and 6.9 t ha−1 on average for all the sowing dates, and the above ground biomass results were 13.6, 12.0 and 22.9 on average for all sowing dates in ‘Krzyca’, ‘Dańkowskie złote’ and ‘Horyzo’, respectively. In addition, the highest grain yield (8.8 t ha−1) was harvested in ‘Horyzo’ when it was sown on 01 November; thus, we recommend choosing ‘Horyzo’ for cultivation in Iraq and sowing it in early November. Although further study is required to improve agro-technology (such as the nutrient supply) by using a larger number of cultivars, we can conclude that rye can be grown safely in Iraq under irrigated conditions.