Assessment of New Winter Rapeseed Hybrids (Brassica napus L.) for Productivity and Seed Quality Traits

Winter oilseed rape is an important oil crop in Bulgaria. In recent years, due to the change of climate requires the ongoing development and examination of new and world-wide rapeseed hybrids that are most appropriate and effective for specific micro-regions within the country. The selection of the appropriate hybrid is crucial for both yield quantities and the quality of the resulting produce. The objective of the study was to determine the seed yield and its components, along with certain qualitative aspects of five introduced rapeseed hybrids cultivated in Central Bulgaria. The field experiment was conducted of the selected area in Voivodinovo village in region Plovdiv during the period 2021-2024. The experiment was performed on alluvial-meadow soil type by means of a block method with four repetitions; experimental field area - 15 m2, after the predecessor winter wheat. The following hybrids were tested; InVigor 1266 CL, Beatrix CL, Matrix CL, Immortal CL and Robot CL. All the stages of the established technology for rapeseed growing were followed. The indices height of the plants, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, pod length, number of seeds per pod, weight of seeds per plant, seed yield, oil yield, 1000 seed weight, test weight, oil content and crude protein were determined. The highest seed yield was obtained by Immortal CL hybrid due to the higher values of yield structural elements, while the highest oil yield and oil content were reported by the hybrid Matrix CL. Hybrid InVigor 1266 CL is distinguished with the highest values of the crude protein. Seed yield and the crude protein content were negatively related. The values of the indicators 1000 seeds weight and test weight were highest by the hybrid Robot CL.