Abstract: This study aims to clarify the effects of sowing date and density on yield and composition of rape, so as to provide a reference for local high-yield cultivation. In the rape season of 2020 ~ 2021, three factors including the young stem picking method, sowing date and density were carried out in a typical dryland of acidic red soil. The main plot was set as picking the main inflorescence at budding stage and no picking treatments. The two sowing dates of the split plot were October 3 and October 13. The four densities of the small split plot were 30 cm×10 cm（33.3×10⁵ plant·hm⁻², D1）, 30 cm×12 cm（27.8×10⁵ plant·hm⁻², D2）, 30 cm×15 cm（22.2×10⁵ plant·hm⁻², D3） and 30 cm×20 cm（16.7×10⁵ plant·hm⁻², D4）. The young stem yield, growth process, rape yield and its components under different treatments were investigated. The results showed that compared with no picking treatment, picking treatment postponed 6 to 15 days of the initial flowering stage, the final flowering and mature period; significantly reduced plant height and effective branch height by 10.6% and 63.1%; increased stem enlargement and the number of primary effective branches by 7.89% and 21.9%; the number of siliques per plant and seeds per siliques unchanged; and 1 000-seed weight significantly reduced 9.59%. The yield of aboveground dry matter and rapeseed decreased with the increasing density, but the amplitude was less than that of no picking treatment. When sowing date was delayed by 10 d, the growth process was delayed by 12 d, the plant height and stem diameter were decreased significantly. The decreasing density did not affect the growth process but significantly increased the young stem thickness and the number of scones per plant; however, shoot dry matter weight and rape yield were significantly decreased. Therefore, the rape Zhongyouza are affected by both density and sowing date, and its appropriate dense planting and early sowing date can satisfy both the young stem and rape yields.