Effects of seed priming treatments on the germination and development of two rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) varieties under the co-influence of low temperature and drought

The present study was performed to evaluate the effects of seed priming. This was done by soaking the seeds of two rapeseed cultivars, namely, ZY15 (tolerant to low temperature and drought) and HY49 (sensitive to low temperature and drought), for 12 h in varying solutions: distilled water, 138 mg/L salicylic acid (SA), 300 mg/L gibberellic acid (GA), 89.4 mg/L sodium nitroprusside (SNP), 3000 mg/L calcium chloride (CaCl2), and 30 mg/L abscisic acid (ABA). Primed and non-primed seeds were left to germinate at 15°C and -0.15 MPa (T15W15) and at 25°C and 0 MPa (T25W0), respectively. The results showed that SA, GA, SNP, CaCl2, and ABA significantly improved the germination potential (GP), germination rate (GR), germination index (GI), stem fresh weight (SFW), stem dry weight (SDW), root length (RL), stem length (SL), and seed vigor index (SVI) under T15W15. For ZY15 seeds under T25W0, GA, SNP, CaCl2, and ABA priming reduced the average germination time (96% after 5 days) compared to that of the control (88% after 5 days). For ZY15 seeds under T15W15, SA, SNP, CaCl2, and ABA priming, with respect to the control and water-treated groups, shortened the average germination time (92% after 5 days) compared to that of the control (80% after 5 days). For HY49 seeds under T25W0, GA, SNP, CaCl2, and ABA priming reduced the average germination time (92% after 5 days) compared to that of the control (85% after 5 days). Similarly, for HY49 seeds under T15W15, GA priming shortened the average germination time (89% after 5 days) compared to that of the control (83% after 5 days). These priming agents increased the net photosynthesis, stomatal conductivity, and transpiration rate of rape seedlings under conditions of low temperature and drought stress, while also decreasing intercellular carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. Additionally, SA, GA, SNP, CaCl2, and ABA increased superoxide dismutase concentrations (SOD) and ascorbic peroxidase (APX) activities of rape seedlings under stress conditions, while decreasing catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities in ZY15 seedlings. In HY49, which is sensitive to low temperature and drought, all priming solutions, except for SNP, led to an increase in SOD activity levels and a decrease in CAT activity levels. Overall, SA, GA, SNP, and CaCl2 increased the concentrations of indoleacetic acid (IAA), GA, ABA, and cytokinin (CTK) in seedlings under stress conditions. Moreover, compared to SA, CaCl2, and ABA, GA (300 mg/L) and SNP (300 mol/L) showed improved priming effects for ZY15 and HY49 under stress conditions.

Influence of Oilseed Rape Seed Treatment with Imidacloprid on Survival, Feeding Behavior, and Detoxifying Enzymes of Mustard Aphid, Lipaphis erysimi

Imidacloprid application, as a seed coating agent on oilseed rape, is recommended to control mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). In this study, responses of L. erysimi were investigated, including survival, feeding behavior, and detoxifying enzymes, on the oilseed rape seedlings grown from seeds coated with imidacloprid at rates of 6, 12, or 18 g active ingredient (a.i.)/kg seed. The results showed that the aphids’ survival rate, together with that of the progeny of the survivors, on the seed-treated seedlings significantly decreased. This indicates that the aphid population in fields can be suppressed effectively. The electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique was used to record aphid feeding behaviors on two-, four-, and six-leaf stages of oilseed rape seedlings that had been seed-coated with imidacloprid, and individual responses were revealed during the aphid feeding behavior. On the plants at the two-leaf stage, aphid feeding behaviors were influenced, showing decreased frequency of stylet penetration into the leaf (probe) or into the mesophyll cells (potential drops, pds for short), and shortened duration of stylet event in the leaf (probe) or in the phloem. On the plants at the four- and six-leaf stages, these impacts of imidacloprid were weakened; however, the saliva secretion duration in phloem was shortened to less than 5 min in all imidacloprid treatments. The activity of mixed-function oxidase in aphids maintained on the treated seedlings with imidacloprid was elevated. In conclusion, imidacloprid could be used as a seed coating agent for aphid control, but chemical resistance in aphids should not be ignored.

The effect of sowing time on pest spreading in spring oilseed rape crop

The field experiments were conducted at the Experimental Station of Aleksandras Stulginskis University in 2015–2017. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the influence of sowing time on spreading of pests and diseases in spring oilseed rape crop. The first sowing occurred when soil reached physical maturity, the other sowing dates were every 5 days in 2015–2016 and every 7 days in 2017. In 2015, the sowing time did not have a significant effect on the distribution of Alternaria brassicae. Meteorological conditions strongly influenced the severity of the disease. The sowing date had a significant influence on the distribution of Verticillium dahliae: in the spring rape crop sown in May, the stems were damaged by 6.4%, less compared to the crop sown in April. In 2016–2017, the rape seedlings in the plots of the latest sowing were significantly more damaged compared with those of earlier sowing dates. In 2016, spreading of Verticillium longisporum significantly increased by 3.7 times in the crop of spring rape sown on 10 May compared to other sowing dates. In 2017, the spreading of Verticillium dahliae in spring rape crops was more influenced by a colder than usual vegetation period and an abundant rainfall than the sowing time. In 2015, the intensity of Phyllotreta spp. damage in the rape seedling period (BBCH 10-19) significantly increased by 2.7 times with the sowing date from 30 April to 20 May. The spreading of Meligethes aeneus was the least in the spring oilseed rape sown at the optimal time (30 April and 5 May). In 2016–2017, Phyllotreta spp. were more intensively spread in the crops sown in April, and rape seedlings were significantly more damaged. In 2016, Meligethes aeneus were most widely spread in the spring rape crop of the earliest sowing (4 October). A significant decrease in the number of pests was detected in the rape crops sown in May compared to that sown in April. In 2017, the highest number of Meligethes aeneus was evaluated in the rape crop sown on 2 June, significantly by 3.9 times more compared with that in the earlier sown crop and by 2.9 times in the crop sown one week later. It is believed that the other generation of Meligethes aeneus from winter rape crops went to the spring rape crops. In 2016, there was a very strong statistically significant correlation between the sum of positive temperatures for the 10-day period up to the sowing of rapeseed and the prevalence of Phyllotreta spp. in crops: r = 0.98, P ≤ 0.05, and the damage intensity of rape seedlings by Phyllotreta spp. of (BBCH 10-19): r = 0.92, P ≤ 0.05. The warmer the weather was before rape sowing, the more active Phyllotreta spp. were. In 2017, strong correlations were established between the number of Phyllotreta spp. and the intensity of crop damage by Phyllotreta spp. and the crop density 3 days after the emergence: r = –0.82, P ≤ 0.05; r = –0.89, P ≤ 0.01, and 7 days after the emergence of spring rape: r = –0.81, P ≤ 0.05; r = –0.88, P ≤ 0.01.

Transportation and fate of gold nanoparticles in oilseed rape

In this work, we demonstrate the mild effect of AuNPs on the growth of oilseed rape seedlings and suggest their potential application as vehicles for gene delivery in plants.