Eruca sativa oil yields potential, fatty acids profiling, and physiological adaptations at the seed-filling stage...

Eruca sativa Mill. is an underutilized crop for the production of oil. Evaluating the exact potential of E. sativa oil quantity and quality, and salinity-associated physiological adaptations with low-quality saline water would be helpful for making decisions about its large-scale cultivation on marginal lands. A lysimeter (drum-pot) experiment was conducted under a series of saline water irrigation (EC_iw 0.72, 4.02, 7.32, 10.42, and 13.43 dS.m^-1) and the physiological data was taken at the seed-filling stage. The results showed that all the growth and yield parameters declined under higher salinity. The linear regression model showed a 50% reduction in weights of shoots, siliquae, and seeds at irrigation salinity (EC_iw) of 13 dS.m^-1. Seed oil content was only significantly declined at higher salinity of EC_iw 13.43 dS.m^-1 compared to control. Palmitic and linoleic acids were increased from 4.66 to 6.06% and 9.76 to 13.7%, respectively; and erucic acid declined from 43.7 to 40.35% at higher salinity. Photosynthetic pigments, osmotic potential, K⁺/Na⁺ ratio, and CAT activity significantly declined; and RWC, soluble sugars, proline, Na⁺, K⁺, malondialdehyde, proteins and APX activity were significantly augmented with increasing salinity. The results demonstrate that E. sativa makes osmotic adjustments for survival under salinity and could be grown on marginal lands for industrial oil production.