effect of seeds rates on yield and yield components of three rapeseed (brassica napus l.) varieties in neka, mazandaran

in order to investigate the effect of seed rate on seed yield and yield components of three rapeseed varieties, a split- plot experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with four replicates during 2008-2009 at baykola agricultural research station, neka, mazandaran province. in this experiment four seed rates (5, 7, 9 and 11 kg.ha-1) as main plots, three rapeseed cultivars (hyola 401, rgs-003 and sarigol) as sub plots were assessed. each plot was included six lines with five meter length and distance between lines was 30 cm. results showed that the effect of seed rates on seed yield and number of pods per plant was significant. the highest grain yield (4829 kg.ha-1) was related to the lowest seed rates. the effect of varieties on the secondary branch number, 1000-seed weight of pods per plant and seed yield were significant. hyola 401 with 5033 kg.ha-1 was performed better than rgs-003 and sarigol (pf) with 4357 and 4066 kg.ha-1 seed yield, respectively. significant positive correlation of seed yield with 1000-seed weight, number of pods per plant, number of seed per pod indicating that hyola 401 with highest yield components at the different plant density had the highest seed yield.