Soil–plant–water relations of oilseed rape (Brassica napus and B. campestris)

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Chinoli (Brassica campestris subsp. oleifera × subsp. chinensis), Marnoo and Apetalous (B. napus), with contrasting morphological characters, were compared over four seasons in Tasmania in 1985/86 and 1986/87. The total water use estimated from a depth of 70 cm increased in proportion to irrigations. Before irrigation all the crops had a similar pattern of moisture extraction but differences between the lines, and due to irrigations, emerged after the irrigation treatments. The genotypic differences were clearer in the winter sowing of 1986/87, when the growing season was longer. Apetalous, when unirrigated, extracted a greater amount of water from the lower, wetter regions of the soil profile, particularly in the longer winter sowing when its water use was the same as in the treatment receiving one irrigation. With consistently higher stomatal conductance, Apetalous used more water than chinoli or Marnoo. It also maintained a higher turgor at lower osmotic potentials, suggesting a greater degree of drought tolerance than found in the short duration chinoli which, although it had a lower water use, also gave lower seed yields.

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