Effect of drought on the seed oil content of canola germplasm in winter cultivation

Canola (Brassica napus L.) is a major oilseed crop used for both edible and industrial purposes. The impact of climate change, which includes drought conditions, can have adverse effects on canola seed yield and quality, particularly in terms of oil content. In this study, 95 canola genotypes were evaluated for seed oil content (SOC) under two irrigation regimes, well-watered (WW) and drought stress (DS) conditions across two growing seasons. Drought stress reduced the SOC by 6.34% compared to WW condition. The SOC was significantly different among genotypes in 2017 and ranged from 35.40% in G92 to 53.13% in G53 under WW and it ranged from 32.20% in G4 to 46.42% in G47 under DS condition. Across two years, the highest SOC was obtained for G69 with 46.13% and G1 with 40.03% under WW and DS conditions, respectively. Analysis of the phylogenetic tree showed that the 95 canola genotypes were divided into four groups based on the SOC. Eighteen genotypes with the highest amounts of oil content (42-46%) were clustered in group 3. Overall, the results of this study showed that there is a great diversity between the collected genotypes, which can be used in breeding programs.

Effect of drought on the seed oil content of canola germplasm in winter cultivation Keywords:

Canola , drought , oil , phylogenetic tree , variation