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Impacts of tropospheric ozone on sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) are poorly understood despite being a staple food grown in locations deemed at risk from ozone pollution. Three varieties of sweet potato were exposed to ozone treatments (peaks of: 30 (Low), 80 (Medium), and 110 (High) ppb) using heated solardomes. Weekly measurements of stomatal conductance (gs) and chlorophyll content (CI) were used to determine physiological responses, along with final yield. gs and CI were reduced with increasing ozone exposure, but effects were partially masked due to elevated leaf senescence and turnover. Yield for the Erato orange and Murasaki varieties was reduced by ∼40% and ∼50% (Medium and High ozone treatments, respectively, vs Low) whereas Beauregard yield was reduced by 58% in both. The DO 3 SE (Deposition of Ozone for Stomatal Exchange) model was parameterized for gs in response to light, temperature, vapour pressure deficit and soil water potential. Clear responses of gs to the environmental parameters were found. Yield reductions were correlated with both concentration based AOT40 (accumulated ozone above a threshold of 40 ppb) and flux based POD 6 (accumulated stomatal flux of ozone above a threshold of 6 nmol m− 2 s− 1) metrics (R2 0.66 p = 0.01; and R2 0.44 p = 0.05, respectively). A critical level estimate of a POD 6 of 3 (mmol m−2 Projected Leaf Area−1) was obtained using the relationship. This study showed that sweet potato yield was reduced by ozone pollution, and that stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content were also affected. Results from this study can improve model predictions of ozone impacts on sweet potato together with associated ozone risk assessments for tropical countries. [Display omitted] • Leaf stomatal conductance and chlorophyll reduced with higher ozone (O 3) exposures. • Elevated O 3 up to 110 ppb reduced yields by ∼50% in three varieties. • O 3 flux model (DO 3 SE) parametrised for sweet potato. • Critical level (at 5% yield loss) estimated using the O 3 dose/response relationship. • Results can improve risk assessments of O 3 yield impacts for this staple food crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• O 3 pollution is a hidden threat to oilseed rape cultivation and processing. • O 3 reduces yield by 20% in spring and 40% in winter oilseed rape cultivars. • O 3 decreases seed quality of the spring, but not the winter, cultivar. • O 3 decreases on-farm quality premiums and profit margins. • Variation in cultivar tolerance may offer agronomists ways to mitigate O 3 impacts. Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is cultivated worldwide, producing 11.5% of global oilseeds at an economic value of 38 billion USD in 2020. It is sensitive to phytotoxic damage from exposure to tropospheric ozone (O 3), a major air pollutant, which disrupts plant physiological processes and thus decreases biomass accumulation. As background ozone concentrations continue to increase globally, we investigated the impact of ozone exposure on seed and oil yield of a shorter-lived spring (cv. Click) and a longer-lived winter (cv. Phoenix) oilseed rape cultivar to ozone levels (treatments with peaks of 30, 55, 80, 110 ppbv) representative of typical European conditions where these cultivars are common. Thousand Seed Weight (TSW), an important measure of final yield, decreased more in Phoenix (40%) than Click (20%) with increasing ozone exposure. Click produced more racemes and many small seeds while Phoenix produced fewer racemes and larger seeds. However, seed quality declined more substantially in Click than Phoenix. The oil content in Click's seed significantly decreased with increased ozone exposure, while less desirable components (moisture, chlorophyll, ash) increased. Scaled to field-level, our findings imply substantial economic penalties for growers, with potential losses of 175–325 USD ha−1 in Click and 500–665 USD ha−1 in Phoenix under ozone concentrations typical of spring and summer periods in Europe. Decreased total yield would likely outweigh the benefits of any improvement in animal oilseed cake quality (increased protein and key micronutrients for livestock feed). Neither cultivar sustained visible injury at earlier growth stages, and Phoenix sustained photosynthesis even under high exposure, thereby making ozone an invisible threat. Our findings of reduced oilseed quantity and quality threaten oilseed rape production, but differences between the cultivars may also offer an opportunity for breeders and agronomists to identify and exploit variation in ozone tolerance in oilseed rape. [Display omitted]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]