Antioxidant capacity of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) in different soil types

This work considers the results obtained by testing the parameters of antioxidant status in leaves and roots of oilseed rape at different growth stages (phase I: formation of leaf rosettes and preparing for winter hibernation; phase II: after the winter hibernation; phase III: flowering) grown in semicontrolled field conditions on different soil types. The experiment was conducted on four oilseed rape genotypes (Banacanka, Jasna, Kata, and Zlatna) in semicontrolled conditions in containers with three soil types: chernozem, solonetz, and solonchak. The germination failed on solonchak due to the excessive amount of salt, but results were obtained for plant material on chernozem and solonetz. The following parameters were examined: superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, lipid peroxidation (LP) intensity, glutathione (GSH) content, and total antioxidant capacity (by ferric reducing antioxidant power, FRAP method). The activity of all the tested parameters of antioxidant status in all genotypes, both in leaves and roots, was higher in plants grown on solonetz soil compared to plants grown on chernozem. Furthermore, the activity of all the tested parameters on both soil types was highest in the second phase of testing, the stage after the winter hibernation, because the plants were exposed to low temperatures in addition to salt stress. The vital thing to note is that GPx activity is important for the defense at the initial stages of growth, while in the later growth stages SOD assumes this role. The genotype Banacanka has been distinguished as the most tolerant, while the genotype Zlatna was the most sensitive.