The effects of different seeding rates and row spacing on grain yield and some grain yield components in rye (Secale cereale L.)

This current study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different seeding rates and sowing rows on grain yield and some important grain components in rye (Secale cereale L. var. Aslım). The experimental design was a randomized complete block, arranged as split-plot with five different row spacing (15, 17.5, 20, 22.5 and 25 cm) (main plots) and four different seeding rates (300, 400, 500 and 600 seed m-2) (subplots) with 3 replicates. This study was carried out in Kırşehir ecological conditions during the winter growing period of 2016-2017. The recorded agronomic parameters were the number of plants per square meter (numbers/m-2), spike time duration (days), fertile spike number per square meter (plant/m2), plant height (cm), flag leaf length (cm), flag leaf length (cm), spike length (cm) cm), total number of spikelets per spike (number), number of sterile spikelets per spike (number), number of grain per spike (pieces), grain yield per spike (g), grain yield (kg da-1), biological yield (kg da-1), thousand grain weight and harvest index (%) in this study. Grain yield increased as the row spacing distance narrowed. Accordingly, the highest grain yield (349.6 kg da-1) was obtained from a 15 cm row width, while the lowest grain yield (270.0 kg da-1) was obtained from a 25 cm width. In addition, the increase in seeding rates increased grain yield. The highest grain yield was obtained with 329.7 kg da-1 from a 500 seed m-2 seeding rates. It was recommended that the rye should be cultivated with 15 cm row spacing and 600 seed m-2 seeding rate for the higher grain yield (410.4 kg da-1) in Kırşehir ecological condition.