INFLUENCE OF SEED RATE AND LEAF TOPPING ON SEED YIELD, OIL CONTENT AND ECONOMIC RETURNS OF ETHIOPIAN MUSTARD (Brassica carinata)

Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) seed rate and leaf topping experiment was conducted in Ethiopia at Adet experimental station and on farmers’ fields, for two consecutive years (2005-2006). Complete factorial combination of four topping treatments (no topping, topping at 20, 30 and 40 days-after emergence) and four seed rates (4, 6, 8, and 10 kg/ha) were tested in a randomized complete block design with three replications at each year. Leaf topping caused reduction in thousand seeds weight, seed and oil yield as compared to non-topping. From the experiment it was concluded that if the objective of the Ethiopian mustard production is for higher oil production, it should be planted at 8 kg/ha seed rate and avoiding leaf topping practice. However, if the objective of the production is for grain as well as leaf yields, planting it at a seed rate of 10 kg/ha and topping it 40 days after emergence is the best-recommended practice.