Assessment of phenotypic trait plasticity in the oilseed Camelina sativa using integrated early-stage abiotic stress and field studies

Connecting the characterisation of juvenile (pre-anthesis) plant stress responses in controlled environments to field agronomic performance is a challenge. The oilseed crop Camelina sativa (camelina), with its innate resilience and plasticity, presents an opportunity to understand both the underlying mechanisms of juvenile resilience and identify the implications for yield in diverse pedoclimates. A better understanding of camelina’s abiotic stress resilience is important in the context of climate change and the development of breeding programmes for climate-tolerant crops. In this study, 54 accessions representing the genetic diversity observed in the wider publicly available population were used to investigate the plasticity of camelina’s early-stage response to drought and heat stress, combined with an evaluation of field performance in multi-location field trials. A combinatorial phenotyping approach of early-stage drought and heat stress identified stress-responsive signatures within the diversity panel. The substantial variation in the morphophysiological line-specific responses to stress, indicated that juvenile and mature camelina plants have significant plasticity and access different stress response strategies. In response to stress, we observed significant molecular metabolic adjustment alongside significant lipid remodelling and physiological compensation. Camelina was resilient to drought stress, and certain metabolites were identified as indicators of abiotic stress response. Applying an integrated approach, early-stage phenotyping and multi-location field trials provided a complete assessment of the camelina stress response and facilitated a connection to crop productivity. This approach facilitates improved breeding programmes, addresses the restrictions of limited genetic diversity in camelina, and supports the development of local varieties optimised for climate resilience.