Yield and biochemical characteristics of seeds of white mustard varieties in the forest-steppe zone of the Middle Volga region

Oil crops of the Brassicaceae family make an important contribution to oilseed production, one of which is white mustard (Sinápis álba L.). Due its many uses, it was necessary to select a variety best adapted to the Middle Volga region's forest-steppe hydrothermal conditions and capable of producing a stable yield of high-quality seeds at the optimal seeding rate. The exper-iment was conducted at the Penza State Agrarian Univer-sity on meadow-chernozem soil in a two-factor experi-ment: factor A – the variety: Lucia (control), Bella, and Omega; factor B – the seeding rate: 2.0 (control), 1.0, 1.5, 2.5, and 3.0 million germinated seeds per hectare. The Bella variety had the highest seed productivity – 1.92 t/ha. The Lucia variety was 0.28 tons/ha lower, and the Omega variety was 0.56 tons/ha lower. Mustard productivity de-pended on plant density, and the Bella variety had the highest productivity at a seeding rate of 2.5 million – 2.13 t/ha, while reducing the rate to 1.0 million or increasing it to 3.0 million decreased the seed yield by 0.50 and 0.19 t/ha, respectively. When sown at a rate of 2.0 million, the yield was 2.04 t/ha. Seed quality is determined by its oil and protein content. The Omega variety seeds had the highest oil content, 28.54%, while the Bella variety had 0.77% less and the Lucia variety had 3.95% less. As the seeding rate decreased, oil accumulation in the seeds in-creased from 26.50% to 27.47%. The Bella variety had the highest oil yield – 0.54 t/ha, exceeding the oil yields of the Omega and Lucia varieties by 0.14 and 0.13 t/ha, respectively. In 2023, the protein content of seeds was 0.37–1.69% lower than in 2024, amounting to 25.33%. On average, 0.50 tons of protein were obtained per hec-tare of Bella variety sowings, with a maximum amount of 0.53 and 0.56 tons, at seeding rates of 2.0 and 2.5 million, respectively.