Effects and management strategies to mitigate drought stress in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.): a review

Abstract

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is an important oilseed crop worldwide. Drought is the most detrimental environmental factor affecting the crop plants from germination up to maturity. A complete perspective of the effect of drought is crucial in understanding the influence of climate variability on rape cultivation. Water deficit stress affects morphology, physiology and development of rape crop. The aim of this article is to present an outline of the effects of drought stress on the growth, physiological processes, yield and quality parameters of rape crop. When drought stress occurs at critical stages, both short and long term, it can adversely affect important growth and physiological processes like leaf area, root growth, shoot growth, excised leaf water loss (ELWL), relative water content (RWC), photosynthesis and water use efficiency (WUE) by disturbing stomatal adjustment, producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), lowering stomatal conductance and destroying the chlorophyll and other pigments. Rape is more susceptible to water deficit stress during reproductive stages which ultimately affect the yield and oil quality. Some important management strategies for drought mitigation in rape, including use of compatible solutes, nutrients, plant growth regulators, different planting methods are also mentioned and discussed in this review paper.

Reaction of some rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) genotypes to different drought stress levels during germination and seedling growth stages

“…For this reason, plant traits related to water uptake, such as seed germination capacity and root length, are of paramount importance for explaining plant adaptation and persistence in Mediterranean-type ecosystems (Valladares et al, 2004). Germination and seedling establishment are important for determination of final plants density which is highly correlated with crop yield (Raza et al, 2017). Many reports showed that seeds tolerant to drought stress during germination stage have better growth at seedling stage and also produce strong root system (Waheed, 2014).…”

Potassium Improves Drought Stress Tolerance in Plants by Affecting Root Morphology, Root Exudates, and Microbial Diversity

“…As the first organ in plants to perceive drought stress is the root system morphology, which is not only determined by their genes but also influenced by surrounding environmental changes [12]. When plants are exposed to water-limited conditions, the root biomass and extension are inhibited [13], and lateral roots developing and root angle forming are structurally adjusted to the distribution of soil moisture [14]. In addition to such physical adaptations, roots also release certain organic compounds into the soil to improve the rhizosphere environment, which is considered as a "stress-reducing" mechanism during the long-term evolution of plants [15,16] and medium between plants and soil [17,18].…”

Nitric oxide pretreatment enhances antioxidant defense and glyoxalase systems to confer PEG-induced oxidative stress in rapeseed

“…In the present world, crops are suffering from drought stress, and its duration and severity are also increasing day by day due to climatic changes and thus imposing a continuous threat to food production. Drought stress hampers plant productivity through affecting normal plant growth and physiology, different biochemical processes, and yields (Raza et al 2016;Hasanuzzaman et al 2016;Cao et al 2017). Plants face oxidative stress under water deficit conditions by producing an excess amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which causes damage to biological molecules and cellular organelles.…”