Abstract: A doubled haploid (DH) population (282 lines) derived from a cross between a German cultivar ‘Sollux’ and a Chinese inbred line ‘Gaoyou’ was used to investigate the effect of seed maturity on 1000-seed weight and oil content of rapeseed from 2007 to 2008. Seed samples were collected twice in 7-day intervals, when early and later maturity lines entered yellow ripening stage( on 19th May and 26th May), respectively. According to the early flowering seage, all 282 DH lines were divided into four groups. Seed weight and oil content were analyzed and compared between two sampling times and among four groups, and correlations between 1000-seed weight, oil content and early flowering seage were calculated. The results showed that： (1) Harvesting rapeseeds one week later or before physiological maturity stage (yellow pods) could result in 0.198 g and 0.162 g decrease in 1000-seeds weight which were equivalent to a significant loss of yield up to 5% (P=0.027) and 4% (P=0.001) respectively; (2) No significant difference in seed oil content between two harvest time were observed for all four groups, showing that seeds maturity was less influence on oil content than 1000 seeds weight; (3) a significant negative correlation (r=－0.643) between 1000-seed weight and the initial flowering time was identified. It will lead to a markedly reduction in 1000-seed weight if there are more than 4 days differences in flowering date under the cultivation environment of Haining in Zhejiang Province.

Key words: Brassica napus L., seed maturity, 1000-seed weight, oil content, early flowering stage