Climate changes are affecting the plant production, including sugar beet growing especially in the southern and central parts of the Europe. Modifying the sowing and harvesting dates are one of the most often used adaptations in sugar beet cultivation. The aim of this study was to assess the interactions between planting date and sugar beet genotypes for different harvest dates with recommendation for duration of vegetation period for specific hybrids in order to achieve the best performance and to evaluate influence of climatic factors on sugar yield. Three-way analysis of variance and AMMI (Additive main effect and multiple interactions) analysis were performed to investigate interaction between main factors. Analysis of variance revealed that genotypes (G), planting date (PD), harvest date (HD) and interaction G × PD significantly affected sugar yield in 2016. In 2017 genotypes, planting date, harvest date and G x PD interaction significantly affected sugar yield on probability level of 1%, while PD × HD interaction had significant effect on probability level of 5%. Results of AMMI analysis enabled discrimination of genotypes with the highest level of stability in certain planting dates. Hybrids with combined yield and sugar content (NZ type) should have the advantage in earlier planting dates compared to of sugar beet hybrids with higher sugar content (Z type). However, in shortened vegetation period Z type hybrids are more stable and with better sugar yield results. Results of our study suggest that delaying the harvest date decreases differences between sugar yields obtained from hybrids sown in different planting dates. Major factors in the study affecting sugar yield were growing degree days, insolation and number of days from planting to harvest.

The objective of this study was to assess genotype by environment interaction for seed yield per plant in rapeseed cultivars grown in Northern Serbia by the AMMI (additive main effects and multiplicative interaction) model. The study comprised 19 rapeseed genotypes, analyzed in seven years through field trials arranged in a randomized complete block design, with three replicates. Seed yield per plant of the tested cultivars varied from 1.82 to 19.47 g throughout the seven seasons, with an average of 7.41 g. In the variance analysis, 72.49% of the total yield variation was explained by environment, 7.71% by differences between genotypes, and 19.09% by genotype by environment interaction. On the biplot, cultivars with high yield genetic potential had positive correlation with the seasons with optimal growing conditions, while the cultivars with lower yield potential were correlated to the years with unfavorable conditions. Seed yield per plant is highly influenced by environmental factors, which indicates the adaptability of specific genotypes to specific seasons.

Winter oilseed rape (WOSR) production is dependent on weather conditions, but is also characterized by low nitrogen (N) use efficiency. The objectives of this study were to: (i) evaluate sources of variability for the seed yield and oil content of four rapeseed cultivars under the influence of three sowing dates (SD trial) and five nitrogen dosages (N trial) during four growing seasons; (ii) understand year-related interactions and the effect of climatic variables in different growth stages; and (iii) assess the presence of interactions cultivar by year (C × Y) and treatment by year (T × Y). Six climatic factors were observed, during germination, overwintering, budding, flowering and ripening. The mixed effect split-plot analysis of variance was used, as well as factorial regression models. The C × Y interaction was the most important for the oil content in both trials. The precipitation at budding stage (75.8%), relative air humidity at overwintering (63.3%) and flowering stage (53.0%) accounted for the highest proportion of T × Y interaction for the seed yield, as well as precipitation at flowering (92.0%) and ripening (85.0%) for the oil content. Water availability was the main determinant of the seed yield and/or oil content accompanied with cooler temperatures during the seed development. The study successfully dissected the effect of year-related climatic variables on the agronomical traits in winter rapeseed. Based on this, appropriate agronomic practices can be applied at specific growing stages to ensure a high seed and oil yield.

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is one of the oldest oilseed crops in Europe. Over the last twenty years, it has reemerged as a very promising alternative oilseed crop. Camelina has broad environmental adaptability, a wide range of resistances to pests and diseases, low-input requirements, and multiple industrial and feed applications exist for its seed oil and meal. In a multi-environment study conducted in Serbia, seven yield-related traits, including plant height (PH), height to the first branch (HFB), number of lateral branches (NLB), number of seed capsules per plant (NSCP), number of seeds per plant (NSP), mass of seeds per plant (MSP), and the total percentage of oil in the seed (TPOS), were analyzed in 20 spring camelina accessions. The combination of two years, two locations, and two sowing dates (autumn and spring) resulted in eight different environments across which the performance of the accessions was evaluated. The aims of the study were (a) to provide a phenotypic characterization and performance evaluation of the camelina accessions, (b) to identify correlations between the selected traits, and (c) to determine the effect of environmental factors on the traits. Environments contributed to the largest proportion in the total variance, explaining approximately 90% of the variance for all traits, except for NLB (70.96%) and TPOS (42.56%). The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model (AMMI) showed that the weather conditions, and seeding dates were the most influential environmental factor. Location had a minor to moderate effect on the investigated traits. Lines CK3X-7 and Maksimir had the highest seed yields, and CK2X–9 and CJ11X–43 had the highest seed oil contents. All four lines had good adaptability and yield stability, making them the most suitable candidates for cultivation in the environmental conditions of Serbia in southeastern Europe. The present results reveal a potential for developing higher-yielding camelina cultivars with increased seed oil content and improved adaptability to various environmental conditions.