Drought poses a serious threat to oilseed crops by lowering yield and crop failures under prolonged spells. A multi-year field investigation was conducted to enhance the drought tolerance in four genotypes of Camelina and canola by selenium (Se) application. The principal aim of the research was to optimize the crop yield by eliciting the physio-biochemical attributes by alleviating the adverse effects of drought stress. Both crops were cultivated under control (normal irrigation) and drought stress (skipping irrigation at stages i.e., vegetative and reproductive) conditions. Four different treatments of Se viz., seed priming with Se (75 μM), foliar application of Se (7.06 μM), foliar application of Se + Seed priming with Se (7.06 μM and 75 μM, respectively) and control (without Se), were implemented at the vegetative and reproductive stages of both crops. Sodium selenite (Na2SeO3), an inorganic compound was used as Se sources for both seed priming and foliar application. Data regarding physiochemical, antioxidants, and yield components were recorded as response variables at crop maturity. Results indicated that WP, OP, TP, proline, TSS, TFAA, TPr, TS, total chlorophyll contents, osmoprotectant (GB, anthocyanin, TPC, and flavonoids), antioxidants (APX, SOD, POD, and CAT), and yield components (number of branches per plant, thousand seed weight, seed, and biological yields were significantly improved by foliar Se + priming Se in both crops under drought stress. Moreover, this treatment was also helpful in boosting yield attributes under irrigated (non-stress) conditions. Camelina genotypes responded better to Se application as seed priming and foliar spray than canola for both years. It has concluded that Se application (either foliar or priming) can potentially alleviate adverse effects of drought stress in camelina and canola by eliciting various physio-biochemicals attributes under drought stress. Furthermore, Se application was also helpful for crop health under irrigated condition.

Cholistan Institute of Desert Studies The Islamia University of Bahawalpur Bahawalpur 63100 Pakistan

Department of Agriculture and Agribusiness Management University of Karachi Karachi 75270 Pakistan

Department of Agronomy Bahadur Sub Campus Layyah College of Agriculture Bahauddin Zakariya University Punjab 31200 Pakistan

Department of Agronomy Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute Dinajpur 5200 Bangladesh

Department of Agronomy Faculty of Agriculture University of Kafrelsheikh Kafr El Sheikh 33516 Egypt

Department of Agronomy Faculty of Agriculture University of Poonch Rawalakot Rawalakot 12350 Pakistan

Department of Agronomy Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University Dinajpur 5200 Bangladesh

Department of Agronomy MNS University of Agriculture Multan Pakistan Punjab 66000 Pakistan

Department of Agronomy University of Agriculture Faisalabad Punjab 38000 Pakistan

Department of Biology College of Science Taif University P O Box 11099 Taif 21944 Saudi Arabia

Department of Botany and Plant Physiology Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague 165 00 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Botany University of Central Punjab Bahawalpur Campus Bahawalpur 63100 Pakistan

Department of Crop Science Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation University Bonn 53115 Bonn Germany

Department of Plant Physiology Slovak University of Agriculture Nitra 949 01 Nitra Slovakia

Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences University of Agriculture Faisalabad 78000 Pakistan

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