Exploring Genotype by Environment Interaction in Winter Canola in North Carolina

Farmers in the Southeastern U.S have recently begun growing winter canola to meet a local demand for biodiesel, but optimal varieties for the region are unclear. Winter canola was trialed in North Carolina and the trial data analyzed to obtain estimates of genotype by environment interaction. Yields were found to be similar to the U.S. national average. There was considerable yield variation between varieties, with the minimum yield being 0.1 Mg/ha and the maximum 3.4 Mg/ha. Little genotype by environment interaction was observed. The low genotype by environment interaction indicates that the best performing cultivars are likely to be broadly adapted and that future evaluation can be reasonably restricted to a limited number of sites. The results suggest that if appropriate varieties are selected, winter canola could be an economically viable crop in the Southeastern U.S. It is recommended that winter canola varieties continue to be evaluated in the Southeast.