Logo image
Back
Solute accumulation and osmotic adjustment in leaves of Brassica oilseeds in response to soil water deficit
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Solute accumulation and osmotic adjustment in leaves of Brassica oilseeds in response to soil water deficit

Q. Ma, D.W. Turner, D. Levy and W.A. Cowling
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol.55(9), pp.939-945
2004
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/AR03183
url
Link to Published Version *Subscription may be requiredView

Abstract

To establish methods for improving drought tolerance in Brassica oilseeds, we examined the influence of soil water deficit on solute accumulation in expanded and expanding leaves. We assessed the contribution of individual solutes to osmotic adjustment (OA) and determined the effect of homozygosity on the variation of the expression of OA. Juvenile plants of canola (Brassica napus cvv. Karoo and Monty) and Indian mustard (B. juncea line PI-81792) were grown under glasshouse conditions. The 3 genotypes expressed similar magnitudes of OA in response to drought, compared with a 2-fold higher OA in expanding leaves than in fully expanded leaves. Drought-induced changes in OA of expanded leaves of all genotypes were largely due to the accumulation of nitrate (42-47%), soluble sugars (31-38%), and proline (11-14%). In expanding leaves, K + accumulation was significant (23-27%) as was proline (17-22%), whereas nitrate and soluble sugars were less important than in expanded leaves. By comparison, ions of Na+, Cl-, and water-soluble Mg 2+ and Ca2+ did not contribute significantly to OA. Proline was hardly detected in well watered plants, but sharply increased in leaves of droughted plants in direct proportion to the magnitude of OA (80 ± 7 mmol/MPa, r2 = 0.94). A comparison between doubled haploid (DH) and commercial seed sources of 2 B. napus cultivars showed similar mean values in OA. The DH lines had a 33% lower coefficient of variation in OA than cv. Karoo and 48% lower than cv. Monty among replicate plants. Proline may be a suitable 'marker' for OA in juvenile Brassica plants because of all the solutes measured, its concentration was directly proportional to the magnitude of OA across cultivars and leaf types. The use of DH lines will improve the precision in selection of genotypes that have the capacity to osmotically adjust under soil water deficit.

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#2 Zero Hunger
#13 Climate Action

Source: InCites

Metrics

36 Record Views
41 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Citation topics
3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
3.4 Crop Science
3.4.49 Plant Stress Responses
Web Of Science research areas
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
ESI research areas
Agricultural Sciences
Logo image