Brassica Carinata and B. napus Growth, Seed Yield and Oil Quality Sensitivity to Water Stress at Various Growth Stages.

Water deficit results in growth retardation and yield loss of oilseed crops especially in arid and semi-arid production systems. A greenhouse study was conducted at North Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy, Florida during 2015/2016 to determine the effects of water stress on carinata (B. carinata A. Braun) cv. AAC A110 and (B. napus L.) cv. Canterra 1918 growth, development, seed yield, fatty acid distribution and composition. Water stress treatments (well-watered (WW) and 50% WW) were imposed at 5 leaf-stage, bolting, flowering, pod development, and seed filling stages. Plants grown in 100% Hoagland Solution under well-watered conditions with the above treatments imposed at the different growth stages. Data collected at harvest maturity: growth (height, leaf number, branch number, leaf area and specific leaf area, leaf dry weight (DW), stem DW, root DW, root length and volume); physiological measurements (leaf-level net photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance and transpiration), leaf water potential, leaf abscission, leaf, stem and root dry matter partitioning, pod number, pod length, seeds per pod, seeds per plant, oil content and profile, and 1000 seed weight. Comparative analysis will identify intraspecific variation and sensitivity to water stress imposed at various growth stages through morpho-physiological responses.