Spring rapeseed as a promising fodder crop for Vologda Province

Rapeseed is a popular fodder crop with significant potential for cultivation in Russian regions, including Vologda Province. The growing economic value of rapeseed has led to increased interest in its seeds and processed products. Rapeseed green biomass and silage are used as animal feed. Rapeseed cake and meal (processed products) are added to animal feed as a source of protein and energy supplements. Despite the periodic fluctuations in the area of rapeseed cultivation in Russia and Vologda Province, there is a general trend towards increasing its production, both through expanding the cultivated area and raising the yields. This trend is driven by the high economic profitability of the crop and its significant agronomic role. Successful cultivation of rapeseed for seed requires a systematic approach that includes several key components: careful selection of cultivars adapted to local conditions, implementation and improvement of cultivation technologies, balanced mineral nutrition for plants, and an effective system for pest and disease control.

In 2024, as part of the efforts to expand the area planted with spring rapeseed in Vologda Province, two field experiments were conducted to study the effectiveness of growing various genotypes of the crop for seeds. The plot experiment was conducted in the experimental field of the North-Western Research Institute of Agricultural Production, and the production experiment was performed at a large agricultural enterprise in Vologda Province. The following spring rapeseed genotypes were studied in the experiments: cv. ‘Favorit’, and the Mirakl and Tsebra KL hybrids. For all variants of the experiments, a unified fertilizer pattern was provided (doses per 1 hectare): ammonium nitrate (0.2 metric tons), ammonium sulfate (0.1 MT), and NPK (15:15:15+S10) (0.15 MT). The studies helped to assess the adaptability and productivity of different spring rapeseed genotypes, both under controlled conditions and within the production cycle, with a single level of mineral nutrition. The studied spring rapeseed cultivar and hybrids can provide yields of 1.8–2.5 t/ha and 2.3–3.5 t/ha of seeds with a protein content of 23.8–27.1% and 22.5–23.5%, and a fat content of 36.2–38.4% and 38.5–41.6%, respectively, under plot-based and production conditions. The Miracle hybrid surpassed cv. ‘Favorit’ and the Tsebra KL hybrid in yield and seed fat content.

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