Date of Award

9-1-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Environmental Science (M.Env.Sc.)

Department

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

First Advisor

Jason P. de Koff

Abstract

Canola (Brassica napus L.), a significant oil seed crop, has numerous advantages, including a high seed oil concentration, use as a feedstock for biofuel, pollinator habitat, an excellent cover crop, and importance as a rotational crop with winter wheat. Various high yielding varieties are being released to meet the increasing demand and must be evaluated to determine which ones perform best in a specific ecoregion. Consequently, a study was conducted at the Tennessee State University Agricultural Education and Research Center in Ashland City, Tennessee in the year 2022–2023 (Year I) and 2023–2024 (Year II) using a randomized complete block design with four replications across both years. Plant count, canopy cover, winter mortality, pod shatter potential, seed yield, oil and protein content were determined across 35 varieties in Year I (11 open-pollinated and 24 hybrid) and 37 varieties in Year II (8 open pollinated and 29 hybrids). The hybrid varieties had a lower plant count before winter during both growing seasons and a lower winter mortality during the second growing season with no significant differences observed during the first year. Open pollinated varieties had greater green cover following winter in Year 1 while hybrid varieties were greater during Year 2. In both years, hybrid varieties had a greater shatter index. Seed yield varied between 160 kg ha-1 and 1254 kg ha-1 in Year I and 800 kg ha-1 and 2534 kg ha-1 in Year II, oil content varied between 44% to 48% in Year I and 40% to 46% in Year II and protein content varied between 21% and 23% in Year I and 22% to 26% in Year II. Hybrid varieties performed better for yield (Year 2) and oil content (both years), while open-pollinated types were better for protein content as suggested by this study. The recommended winter canola varieties from this study were the hybrids, DK Exterrier and DK Sephor.

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