Influence of different sowing times on yield and biochemical characteristics of different opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) genotypes

Background: Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) is an important industrial plant that could be culti-vated in Turkey during autumn and spring seasons. However, the impact of different seasons on yield and biochemical attributes of different genotypes in Turkey is rarely tested. This study determined the effect of different sowing times (autumn and spring) on alkaloid, oil content, yield and related traits, and phenological properties of different opium poppy genotypes.Methods: The experiment was conducted at two different locations (Topcu and Yerkoy) during autumn and spring seasons of 2020 and 2021. A total 18 different poppy genotypes available for cultivation were included in the study. Data on yield related traits and biochemical attributes were recorded at harvest. Results: Alkaloid and oil contents were higher in spring sowings than autumn sowings. However, autumn sowings recorded higher yield and yield-related traits compared to spring sowings. During autumn sow-ings, morphine ratio varied from 0.33 % to 1.40 %, morphine yield ranged between 4.28 and 21.97 kg ha -1, capsule yield differed between 1156.1 and 2393.3 kg ha -1, and seed yield ranged from 1162.0 to 2420.0 kg ha -1. Similarly, during spring sowings, morphine ratio differed from 0.40 % and 1.50 %, mor-phine yields ranged between 3.13 and 17.44 kg ha -1, capsule yield varied between 721.7 and 1757.8 kg ha -1, and seed yield ranged from 656.0 to 1676.4 kg ha -1. The genotypes 'Celikoglu', 'Tinaztepe', 'Seyitgazi', 'Ofis 95' and 'Afyon 95' are recommended for autumn sowing, whereas genotypes 'Huseyinbey', 'Ofis 96', 'Celikoglu', 'Seyitgazi' and 'Ofis NM' are recommended for spring sowing due to their higher yield and yield characteristics. The genotypes 'Ofis 1' and 'Ofis 2' can be used in both autumn and spring sowings for morphine production. The genotypes 'Ofis 8' and 'TMO 1' during autumn sowings, and 'Ofis 96' and 'TMO 1' are recommended for spring sowings to obtain higher oil contents. Conclusion: The results have grouped and identified the available genotypes according to their specific traits. Therefore, the selection of the genotype must be done for the required purpose based on the results of the current study.(c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open accessarticle under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

This study compared the impact of different seasons on various opium poppy genotypes in Turkey, finding higher alkaloid and oil contents in spring sowings but higher yield in autumn sowings. Specific genotypes performed better in different sowing seasons, suggesting selecting appropriate genotypes for cultivation based on research results.