Selection of Iranian fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)landraces for winter sowing date

Autumn cultivation improves the yield of plants compared to their spring cultivation, but themain problem in autumn cultivation is the damages of cold stress on plant growth. Toevaluate the effect of cold on the Iranian fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graceum L)landraces, an experiment was performed in field conditions at Ferdowsi University ofMashhad, Iran. The field experiment was conducted during the ۲۰۱۳-۲۰۱۴ growing seasons.So that in ۲۰۱۳-۲۰۱۴ ten fenugreek landraces (Azari, Ardestan, Tall, Dwarf, Shiraz, Shirvan,Mashhad, Neyshabur, Hamedan, Hendi) were sowed in five sowing dates (September ۱۴,October ۱۵, November ۱۴ in ۲۰۱۳ and March ۶, April ۴ in ۲۰۱۴). The results showed thatthe effect of sowing date*landrace was significant on survival rate, height, and grain yield.Delay in cultivation from September to November increased the survival percentage of themost landraces, however, the Neyshabour landrace had a survival of ۱۰۰% in all sowingdates. Delays in sowing from September to April reduced height, branch number, grain yield,and HI of all landraces, however, the reduction was not the same in all landraces. So that,the highest and lowest percentage of yield reduction as a result of sowing delay fromSeptember to April, belonged to Mashhad (۵۵%) and Shirvan (۴۴%) landraces respectively.Mashhad, Neyshabour, and Shirvan landraces had the highest grain yield. The best sowingdate for these landraces to gain more grain yield was September. While the best sowing dateto give the highest grain yield of other landraces was November.

Keywords:

Cold acclimation , Grain yield , Survival percentage.