Abstract

The area coverage and productivity of linseed decreased from time to time; even there is no crop package and recommended row spacing and seed rate at regional level due to lack of attention by researchers and also by farmers. In Ethiopia, linseed has been cultivated for two primary purposes, seed and oil use. Its production in Ethiopia country is characterized by low input, low yield and poor product quality mainly due to attitude and poor management practices such as lack of proper weed management system, poor seed and field hygiene, poor  seed  bed  preparation,  inadequate  plant  nutrition,  inappropriate  seeding  rate  and  spacing  (mostly  broad  casting),  improper  threshing  ground  and  improper  cleaning.  Field  experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of seed rate and row spacing on the yield and yield components of linseed, during 2017/2018 cropping season at Dabat district, North Western Ethiopia. KULUMSA1 (CHILALO)was used as test crop. Factorial combinations of three row spacing, (20, 25, and 30 cm) and three seed rates, (40, 45 and 50kgs) were laid out in RCBD with three replications.  Data regarding different parameters were recorded from  days  to  sowing  up  to  different  stages.  Statistical  analysis  of  data  showed  that  most  of the parameters were affected by the main effects of Seed Rates and Row spacing. The main effect of seed rate was highly significant for days maturity, thousand seed weight and harvest index of linseed. More over it was significant for days to flower and number of capsule per plant, but it was not significant to plant height and bio mass yield. The main effect of row spacing was significant for days to maturity. The interaction of seed rate and row spacing was highly significance (p<0.05) for number of primarily branch per plant and seed yield. It was not significant on number of seeds per capsule, number of capsule per plant and thousand seed weight. The main finding of this research is highest seed yield (1771 kg ha-1 ) was obtained at 40kg ha-1 x 25 cm of row spacing while the lowest seed yield (752kg ha-1) was recorded at 50 kg ha-1 x 30 cm. 40kg ha-1 and 25cm is recommended to increase yield of linseed and its components. In conclusion the effect of seed rate and row spacing affects the important yield components of linseed.

Keywords

linseed, row planting, seed rate, local breads, seed bed preparation