Impact of Water Stress, Climate Change, and Adaptability Trials on Yield and Quality of Taramira Genotypes Across Diverse Locations

Abstract

Water availability for irrigation as a key input in agricultural production is threatened by climate change and water scarcity as a major limitation to crop production in arid and semi-arid areas. Taramira (Eruca sativa) an oilseed crop appears to be promising under these conditions due to its high tolerance. However, little attempt has been made to assess its flexibility and efficiency across the various agro-climatic regions. The objective of this research was to assess the growth, yield, and quality of Taramira genotypes under water stress condition in five different agro-ecological zones of Pakistan. This experiment was carried out during two consecutive cropping seasons 2022-23 and 2023-24 with the ten genotypes supplied by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). Randomized complete block design having three replications was used in the research. Observations included phenotypic characteristics like, days to flowering (DTF) and days to maturity (DTM), plant height, branch, seed yield per plant, leaf area index (LAI), biomass and seed oil content were recorded. Data analysis was done using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least significant difference (LSD) at P ≤ 0.05. The analysis revealed considerable G x E interactions for the variables that was measured. Out of 8 lines, genotype G8 gave the highest seed yield of 1925 kg/Ha combined with higher LAI of 3.3 and oil content of 41.2 at URF Koont while genotype G6 which was characterized by low seed yield of 1600 kg/Ha and 36.8% oil at BARI Chakwal. Harvest biomass also differed and G8 was the highest (2700 kg/ha). Therefore, the genotypes of Taramira are variable to a high degree with respect to their adaptability and production performance under varying environmental conditions. Thus, the genotype G8 was selected as the best for optimal yield and oil content favorable environment, but the genotype G6 is unsuitable for stress conditions. The results presented here suggest that this study provides useful information on the designed breeding programs to enhance Taramira adaptation to unfavorable climate conditions, thus being useful for its cultivation as an environment-friendly crop in water-deficit regions.