Introduction:Determining the optimal sowing depth suitable for different water conditions is a key agronomic factor for crop establishment and yield potential. This study aimed to identify the optimal sowing depth for rapeseed that maximizes seedling vigor under varying water conditions. Methods:Seedling emergence and plant growth were evaluated under four water conditions (variable moisture, drought, normal water, and waterlogged) at different sowing depths (1-5 cm). Meanwhile, the hypothesis that seedling vigor under deep sowing conditions could be improved by exogenous application of glucosinolates (GS) was tested. Results:Results indicated that the highest seedling emergence percentage (EP) was observed at 3 cm, representing increases of 123.2% (variable moisture), 100% (drought), and 11.1% (normal water) compared with 1 cm. Under waterlogged stress, seedling EP showed no significant differences between 1 and 3 cm for 50% of the 16 cultivars. Moreover, seedling EP was significantly improved at 3 cm after seed priming with GS compared with 1 cm, with increases of 46.4% (drought) and 63.0% (waterlogged), whereas no significant differences were observed under normal water conditions. Furthermore, plant phenotypic performance indices were higher at 3 cm with GS treatment than at 1 cm across all water conditions. Discussion:Collectively, a sowing depth of 3 cm combined with exogenous application of GS not only promoted seedling emergence but also benefited subsequent plant growth in direct-sown rapeseed. These results provide practical insights for ensuring reliable seedling establishment in rapeseed.

Improving lodging resistance without compromising yield is a major challenge in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.), a globally important oilseed crop. Here, we demonstrate that calcium application simultaneously enhances lodging resistance and yield of rapeseed under pot and field conditions. In pot studies, calcium treatment enhanced photosynthetic capacity, increased the number of siliques by an average of 29.4%, and improved thousand-seed weight, resulting in higher yields. Calcium treatment also increased stem bending resistance by altering stem structure and cell-wall composition, with upper- and lower-stem strength increasing by 33.0%–35.2% and 23.9%–30.6%, respectively. We confirmed these beneficial effects at multiple field sites with different soil types and planting densities. Physiological and biochemical analyses revealed that calcium treatment strengthens stem mechanical properties by promoting calcium pectate accumulation and reducing pectin methylesterification, as supported by the upregulation of pectin methylesterase (PME) genes. Furthermore, knockout of BnaPME35 abolished the effect of calcium treatment on lodging resistance, highlighting the role of pectin methylesterification levels in lodging susceptibility. These findings suggest that targeted application of calcium-containing fertilizers offers a practical strategy for improving lodging resistance and yield in rapeseed.

Although drying significantly affects rapeseed bolt quality, how different methods alter its metabolite profile remains unclear. This study employed widely targeted metabolomics and physicochemical analysis to compare vacuum freeze drying (VFD), vacuum microwave drying (VMD), and air drying (AD). We identified 1872 metabolites across 12 classes. VFD best preserved heat-sensitive nutrients (vitamin C 85.67 mg/100g; β-carotene 102.17 μg/g) but required the longest time (22.39 h). VMD achieved efficient drying (5.03 h) with superior rehydration, color, and higher levels of amino acids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids than AD. KEGG enrichment revealed differential metabolites enriched in primary metabolism and secondary metabolite biosynthesis (e.g., flavonoid biosynthesis). Drying methods regulate quality by altering metabolic profiles; VMD offers an optimal balance of efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness. This study provides a reference for selecting drying methods to enhance dried rapeseed bolt quality.

The morphological establishment and yield formation of rapeseed are fundamentally dependent on root system development. While long-petiole leaves constitute the earliest true leaves in rapeseed, their regulatory effects on root growth under high-density planting conditions remain unexplored. Field experiments were conducted with two planting densities (D3, 4.5×105 plants ha−1; D5, 7.5×105 plants ha−1) and two leaf treatments (CK: no leaf pruning; LP: removal of 50% long-petiole leaves). A continuous 13C-CO2 labeling experiment was implemented in pot-grown plants to track photoassimilate partitioning, with half of the long-petiole leaves receiving 13C-CO2 pulse labeling. The results indicate that compared with CK, LP treatment reduced per-plant leaf area and dry weight while increasing root-to-shoot ratio. From seedling to bolting stages, LP increased relative expansion rate of leaf area (RER LA) by 56.01% (D3) and 19.87% (D5), but decreased relative expansion rates of root surface area (RERRSA) and relative growth rates of root volume (RGR RV) from seedling to flowering stages, with average annual reductions of 32.71% and 56.98% (D3), and 32.60% and 16.61% (D5), respectively. At the seedling stage, LP treatment enhanced root sucrose synthase (SUSY) activity and elevated sucrose, starch, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) concentrations, but reduced sucrose transporter (SUT) levels. By the flowering stage, cytokinin (CTK), abscisic acid (ABA), and SUT contents declined under D3 density, coinciding with inhibited lateral root growth. Furthermore, LP treatment increased invertase (INV) activity and sucrose content at both seedling and flowering stages but diminished starch reserves, SUT activity, and IAA levels, collectively impeding lateral root development. Notably, LP treatment significantly elevated ABA content under D5 density, which stimulated taproot elongation. Siliques exhibited the highest 13C assimilation and distribution rates under both planting densities. Elevated density reduced 13C-labeled photoassimilate accumulation in vegetative organs but enhanced their allocation to seeds and stems. Root 13C distribution rates declined from 14.5% (D3) to 11.5% (D5), demonstrating that the contribution of long-petiole leaves to root carbon allocation diminished with increasing plant density. The regulatory influence of long-petiole leaves on root growth diminished with increasing planting density. At D3, reduced long-petiole leaf count enhanced sucrose translocation to roots, whereas at D5, starch remobilization in roots was prioritized to sustain basal root development. This study elucidates key mechanisms by which long-petiole leaves modulate root morphogenesis under varying densities and establishes a theoretical framework for optimizing root-shoot balance in high-density direct-seeded rapeseed cultivation systems.

The objective of this study was to identify developmental stages and regulatory factors underlying stem quality of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) under high-density planting. In two cultivars grown at low and high density, gibberellin (GA)-triggered early stem elongation was associated with delayed secondary cell wall deposition and reduced stem mechanical strength under high density. Foliar application of the GA biosynthesis inhibitor uniconazole at the 10–11 leaf stage delayed GA activation and slowed stem elongation, increasing stem mechanical strength and yield.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is often grown under high nitrogen (N) fertilization, increasing the risk of N losses and associated environmental impacts. Using a systematic literature search of Web of Science and Google Scholar (1995-2024) and predefined inclusion criteria, we synthesized 106 field studies to quantify rapeseed yield, nitrogen-use-efficiency (NUE), agronomic efficiency of nitrogen (AEN), and environmental responses to N rate. Across studies, yield responded nonlinearly to N, with rapid gains at low-moderate rates and diminishing returns thereafter; a linear-plus-plateau (LPP) fit indicated yield stabilization around ∼200-225 kg N ha−1 (mean yield ≈2.22 Mg ha−1). Region-specific dose-response functions showed distinct yield-maximizing tendencies: Asia (∼150), Australia (∼125), Europe (∼160-170), and an earlier saturation signal in North America. Both NUE and AEN declined consistently as N rate increased, with greater dispersion and a steeper efficiency erosion in developing-country datasets than developed-country datasets. Environmental context significantly modified the yield-N relationship: mean annual precipitation (MAP), soil pH, and soil organic matter (SOM) shifted response curvature and implied N optima, while yields were highest under intermediate precipitation (500-1000 mm), near-neutral pH (≈6.5-7.5), and higher SOM. Environmental indicators increased disproportionately at higher N supply: N2O and CH4 followed significant nonlinear trends, and soil NO3−-N and NH4+-N pools rose markedly under fertilized treatments. Integrating diminishing yield gains with accelerating environmental costs supports a balanced N management window of ∼100-150 kg N ha−1 for many systems, with rates above ∼150-200 kg N ha−1 requiring clear, site-specific justification and mitigation (e.g., split/variable-rate application, enhanced-efficiency fertilizers, and SOM-building soil management). This framework offers actionable pathways to reconcile agricultural productivity with environmental sustainability.

The seedling stage is one of the stages during which rapeseed is most sensitive to saline-alkali stress. Enhancing the tolerance of rapeseed seedlings is crucial for achieving high biomass and yield when cultivating rapeseed in saline-alkaline soils. This study utilized the salt-sensitive rapeseed variety Yangyou 9 as experimental material to investigate the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which foliar application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) improves salinity tolerance under salt stress during the seedling stage. The results indicated that the 150 mM NaCl stress significantly inhibited the growth of rapeseed seedlings. However, foliar application of ZnO NPs at the concentration of 100 mg L-1 resulted in significant increases in biomass, plant height, leaf width, and leaf area of the above-ground parts of the plants. Furthermore, the contents of soluble sugars and soluble proteins increased by 57.03% and 33.43%, respectively. Under salt stress conditions, the application of ZnO NPs significantly enhanced the activities of POD, SOD, and CAT compared to the untreated control, reduced the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and decreased electrolyte leakage by 27.7% as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) content by 30.7%. These findings indicated that ZnO NPs treatment could significantly alleviate oxidative stress and damage to cell membranes. Non-destructive micro-measurement techniques showed that after ZnO NPs treatment, the rates of K+ efflux and Na+ influx in the root tips and leaf mesophyll tissues of rapeseed seedlings were significantly reduced, thus maintaining the sodium-potassium ion balance and enhancing the salt tolerance of rapeseed during the seedling stage.

The rapeseed cropping system following rice in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) universally faces the challenge of tight crop succession. To address this, integrating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sowing with no-tillage practices and high-density direct seeding has been recognized as a crucial agronomic approach. However, high-density planting intensifies intraspecific competition, quantified as relative competition intensity (RCI), which impairs root-shoot development and creates a prominent contradiction between lodging resistance and yield. To investigate this, a two-year field experiment was conducted to quantify the interactive effects of tillage methods (CK, tillage with manual sowing; N, no-tillage with UAV-sowing; T, tillage with UAV-sowing) and seeding rates (S1, 3.75; S2, 5.25; S3, 6.75 kg ha−1). Across the three tillage modes, sequential increases in seeding rate from S1 to S3 resulted in significant increases in population density, grain yield, and RCI, but a significant reduction in yield per plant. Integrated data from the two years revealed that the N mode significantly reduced the Relative Competition Intensity (RCI) by 32.3-37.7% compared to the CK and T modes. This management practice also optimized dry matter partitioning, increasing the root-shoot ratio and root mass fraction by 30.8-44.3%, which enhanced root anchorage. Concurrently, it reinforced stem mechanical properties; the contents of stem lignin and cellulose increased by 6.8-10.4%, leading to significantly greater stem strength and a consequent 18.6-35.8% reduction in the lodging index. Furthermore, under the N mode, moderate competitive stress activated key enzymes (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) by 7.6-46.9%) in the phenylpropanoid pathway, driving the synthesis of structural carbohydrates and enhancing mechanical support. Crucially, the no-tillage with UAV-sowing (N mode) synergistically achieved the dual objectives of high yield and lodging resistance by optimizing root-shoot coordination and reinforcing stem structure. The NS2 and NS3 treatments were identified as the optimal practices for balancing these goals, with yields comparable to or approaching the highest-yielding treatment (TS3) while offering superior lodging resistance. These findings elucidate a cascading relationship of “intraspecific competition - structural plasticity - functional enhancement - high yield and lodging resistance”, providing a precise agronomic framework for simultaneous yield increase and lodging resistance improvement in the YRB.

Low temperature during germination of late-seeded rapeseed disrupts multiple physiological and biochemical processes and thus limits growth and yield. Accordingly, methods to improve cold tolerance in late-sown rapeseed are needed. In this study, Zhongshuang 11 seeds were primed for 10 h with different concentrations of erucic acid (EA) or glucosinolates (GSLs). After drying, seeds were germinated at low temperature (15 °C/10 °C, 16 h/8 h light/dark) for 14 days. Compared with the control (distilled water priming), the optimal treatments—500 mg/L EA and 300 mg/L GSLs—increased germination rates by 2.9% and 15.6%, respectively, and raised total seedling biomass by 14–24%. Physiological assays on day 14 showed that EA priming increased peroxidase (POD) activity by 28.3%, while GSL priming enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) and POD activities by 12.6% and 36.2%, respectively. EA seed priming increased auxin (IAA), brassinolide (BR), cytokinin (CTK), and gibberellin (GA) contents in underground tissues by 37.2%, 18.7%, 53.9%, and 46.7%, respectively, while GSL priming raised IAA, BR, and GA levels in aerial tissues by 74.0%, 59.0%, and 26.6%. Moreover, EA seed priming significantly increased the activities of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase (LACS) and carnitine acyltransferase (CPT) in rapeseed seedlings, whereas GSL priming elevated glutathione S-transferase (GST) and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) activities. Field experiments confirmed that EA and GSL priming enhanced seedling biomass accumulation, producing 31.4% and 23.8% increases in total dry weight, respectively, and increased silique number per plant by 15.6% and 17.3%, ultimately raising grain yield by 12.9% and 20.0%. These results indicate that EA or GSL seed priming can improve cold tolerance and yield of late-seeded rapeseed, although further multi-environment and mechanistic studies are required.

Soil salinization is a major environmental hazard, hindering rapeseed development due to sodium ion (Na+) toxicity and ionic imbalances in plant cells. Understanding tolerance mechanisms and categorizing reliable physiochemical indicators is vital for enhancing rapeseed tolerance. Herein, we aimed to enhance knowledge about the stress-responsive mechanism of ten rapeseed varieties (C71, C88, C91, C97, C123, C136, C196, C272, C280, and C320) exposed to five NaCl concentrations (0, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mM) through determining key factors related to salt tolerance at the seedling stage. Our results showed that salt stress significantly reduced seedling growth and biomass with increasing salt stress concentration in a similar pattern in all studied varieties, especially in sensitive seedlings. Furthermore, photosynthetic pigment, osmotic solutes, and MDA showed significant variations under salt treatment versus control in all studied varieties. Based on morpho-physiochemical trait analysis of ten rapeseed varieties, C71 and C272 were selected as tolerant and sensitive varieties to study stress responses during six weeks (weekly time points) in the leaf, petiole, stem, and root of seedlings under 250 mM NaCl. Current findings demonstrated superior osmotic adjustment of C71 through higher accumulation of total soluble sugars and protein, reflected in lower MDA levels, which contributed to maintaining cellular homeostasis and membrane integrity to improve resilience under salinity versus C272. Besides, total amino acid content was enhanced in C71 versus C272 seedlings, which was attributed to stress tolerance. In different tissues of C71 and C272, Na+ and K+ levels varied with increasing growing time, reaching the maximum increment at the 6th week under salt stress conditions. Moreover, Na+ initially accumulates in roots and enhances the K+ level in tolerant seedlings; besides, K+ was accumulated higher in the roots of tolerant seedlings, resulting in K+ homeostasis, thereby improving stress tolerance. Our results can be a great reference value for rapeseed plant breeders to develop salt-tolerant cultivars.

Currently, effective strategies to enhance yield under high-density conditions in winter rapeseed production are lacking. Uniconazole and 2, 4-epibrassinolide are important plant growth regulators (PGRs) modulating crop development and yield formation. Therefore, flower bud differentiation and non-carbohydrate metabolism were analyzed under two rapeseed planting densities (D3: 45 × 104 plants ha-1, D5: 75 × 104 plants ha-1) to evaluate the underlying mechanisms of these PGRs on the yield. Under controlled conditions (double-distilled water), increasing planting density reduced the yield, total revenue, and the net profit of rapeseed plants. The PGR S3307 (uniconazole at the seedling stage), BR (2, 4-epibrassinolide at the flowering stage), and S-BR (combined S3307 and BR treatments) significantly enhanced these parameters under both D3 and D5 conditions versus the control. Notably, the yield increased by 13.8% and 15.6% (D3), 26.2% and 27.8% (D5) in S-BR compared to the control, and increased by 2.9% and 4.7% at D5 than D3 in S-BR, over two growing seasons, respectively. Furthermore, our findings indicated that compared to the control, S3307 accelerated flower bud differentiation by increasing the levels of cytokinin and abscisic acid. Meanwhile, both BR and S-BR significantly enhanced the activities of α-amylase, β-amylase, sucrose phosphate synthetase, and cell wall invertase. These improvements were associated with an enhanced translocation of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs), their translocation efficiency, and their contribution to yield. Moreover, the increases in NSC translocation, those enzyme activities, yield, and net profit under D5 were greater than those under D3 in S-BR. Overall, S-BR effectively promoted flower bud differentiation and NSC transport, resulting in increasing yield, numbers of effective branches bearing rapeseed siliques, and siliques per plant under high-density (D5) conditions.

Ridge tillage (RT) is an adaptive and increasingly adopted conservation farming practice aimed at improving productivity and resource use efficiency. However, a comprehensive understanding of its integrated effects and underlying mechanisms across diverse climatic, soil, and management conditions remains limited. We conducted a global meta-analysis of 1579 observations from 65 peer-reviewed studies to evaluate the effects of RT on microclimatic, evapotranspiration (ET), crop yield, water use efficiency (WUE), radiation use efficiency (RUE), and thermal use efficiency (TUE). In addition, we quantified the relative contributions of climatic, soil, and managerial drivers. Microclimate analysis showed that RT reduced soil temperature (-2.7%), increased canopy CO2 concentration (+1.4%) and wind speed (+30.3%), while slightly decreasing canopy humidity. These microclimatic improvements contributed to enhanced WUE, RUE, and TUE by 11.9%, 17.0%, and 14.3%, respectively. Ultimately, RT led to a significant yield increase of 14.9% without affecting ET. Yield increases were more pronounced in high-altitude (>= 1500 m, +26.9%) and warmer (>= 18 degrees C, +24.3%) regions. Greater yield gains were also observed in soils with medium to low nutrient levels and moderate bulk density. Among management practices, a < 1 ridge-to-furrow ratio and the application of film mulching on ridges further enhanced RT benefits. Decision tree analysis identified soil characteristics as the dominant factors influencing both yield and ET responses (45.5% and 58.3%, respectively), with soil bulk density emerged as the most influential single factor, explaining 18.6% and 24.5% of the relative importance for yield and ET, respectively. Overall, this study provides robust empirical evidence supporting the application of RT across diverse agroecosystems. By integrating microclimatic, physiological, and soil factors at a global scale, our study offers novel insights into the mechanisms driving RT effectiveness-highlighting a new direction for site-specific optimization of conservation tillage strategies under changing environmental conditions.

The rhizosphere microbiome underpins plant nutrition, health, and stress resilience, making it central to sustainable agriculture. Although soil physicochemical properties and environmental variability shape microbial communities, converging evidence shows that specific microbial taxa repeatedly associate with particular plant genotypes. This host-dependent stability implies that plant genomes impose selective filters on microbial assembly through root exudation, immunity, and developmental traits. This review outlines a mechanistic framework that partitions rhizosphere microbiome assembly into two components: (i) an environment-driven microbiome shaped predominantly by edaphic conditions, climate, and management practices, and (ii) a host genetics-driven microbiome structured by plant molecular and physiological determinants. We aim to disentangle the assembly rules governing each component and assess their potential for targeted manipulation in crop improvement. The environment-driven component arises from microbial responses to nutrient availability, pH, moisture (including drought and salinity-driven osmotic/ionic stress), and agronomic inputs, and is dominated by ecological filtering and resource competition. The host-genetics-driven component arises from genotype-specific traits, including root architecture, exudate chemistry, and immune signaling pathways, that modulate colonization and persistence. This distinction highlights complementary leverage points: agronomic strategies to steer environment-driven processes and genetic dissection of loci controlling microbial recruitment. Major challenges include strong context dependency across soil–genotype combinations, limited power to link plant alleles to microbiome functions, and the lack of predictive models integrating host genetics, environment, and microbial dynamics. A dual-strategy environmental optimization, combined with breeding to enhance the recruitment of beneficial microbes, offers a tractable route to microbiome-informed crop improvement and more resilient production systems.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2026.1752750.].

Pulsed electric field (PEF) technology can improve oil yield, yet its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of PEF treatment (8 kV/cm, 2 min) on the structure of oil bodies (OBs) from four rapeseed cultivars and established a negative correlation between OB stability and oil extraction efficiency. After PEF treatment, the protein content of OBs increased by an average of 1.02% across all cultivars (P < 0.01), with interfacial proteins undergoing unfolding. Surface hydrophobicity and free sulfhydryl content significantly increased by 83.81% and 62.90%, respectively. These changes promoted OB aggregation via enhanced non-covalent interactions between proteins, leading to increased particle size (32.82%-62.80%) and Turbiscan stability index (10.06%-22.56%), and 28.19% higher oil extraction efficiency (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the PEF-induced changes in phospholipids and intermolecular forces were genotype-dependent. The significant increases in hydrophobic interactions and specific phospholipids (PC (18:2_18:2), PG (16:0_18:1), etc.) facilitated OB destabilization.

CONTEXTClimate change is reshaping crop production systems by increasing environmental stress and altering yield stability. Winter rapeseed is an important oilseed crop in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB), where production is increasingly exposed to heat and drought stress under changing climatic conditions. Understanding how environmental factors and management practices jointly regulate crop productivity and resilience is essential for sustainable intensification.OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to quantify the relative contributions of environmental conditions, climatic stressors, and management practices to winter rapeseed yield formation and yield stability in the YRB under current and future climate scenarios.METHODSThe process-based crop model CROPGRO-Canola was calibrated and evaluated using multi-year and multi-site field experimental data and subsequently applied for regional-scale simulations across the YRB. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the effects of temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation changes on crop yield. In addition, future climate scenarios for 2081–2100 under different emission pathways were used to evaluate changes in yield variability and regional vulnerability.RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSpatial variation in winter rapeseed yield across the YRB was primarily associated with environmental gradients, whereas yield stability was strongly regulated by interactions between climatic stress and management practices. Heat and drought stress emerged as the dominant drivers of yield instability. Sensitivity analysis showed that temperature increases exerted the strongest negative effects on yield, followed by reductions in precipitation and changes in solar radiation. Under current climatic conditions, optimized management practices increased yield by up to 17.6%, indicating substantial opportunities for adaptive management. Future climate projections suggested increasing yield variability and yield reductions of up to 12% under high-emission scenarios, with highly productive regions exhibiting greater vulnerability to climate stress. These findings reveal a trade-off between productivity and resilience in winter rapeseed systems under climate change.SIGNIFICANCEThis study provides a system-level assessment of how environmental and management factors interact to shape crop productivity and stability in winter rapeseed systems. The findings contribute to the development of climate adaptation strategies and management optimization for sustainable rapeseed production in the Yangtze River Basin and other climate-sensitive agricultural regions.

Following rapid economic and social development over the past few decades, developing multipurpose plant species with environmental conservation benefits has become a major challenge. This review explores the multifunctional utilization and industrial significance of rapeseed, along with its environmental applications, to provide insights into future improvements. Additionally, it highlights the multifunctional uses and improvements in China. Rapeseed is primarily cultivated for edible oil production, biodiesel, industrial chemicals, and animal feed. Recent advancements in breeding programs, molecular techniques, and modern agronomic strategies have significantly enhanced rapeseed productivity and multifunctional applications. In China, new rapeseed lines with high oil content and superior composition quality have been developed, along with forage rapeseed cropping systems that utilize vegetative parts for animal feed. Beyond its agricultural and industrial roles, rapeseed provides numerous environmental benefits, such as serving as a cover crop, suppressing weeds, improving soil fertility as green manure, and aiding in the phytoremediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soils. Additionally, rapeseed biomass can be processed into biochar, contributing to carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. Its capacity to reduce carbon dioxide emissions further establishes its role as a sustainable crop. At the ecological and economic levels, rapeseed fields offer aesthetic and tourism value, attracting visitors during early spring in Southern China and mid-summer in Northern China. Furthermore, rapeseed serves as an essential nectar and pollen source for honey production, medicinal extracts, and anticancer compounds. Innovations in genetic modifications and precision agriculture techniques also open new avenues for enhancing rapeseed resilience to environmental stress, improving oil yield, and expanding its applications in pharmaceuticals and biodegradable materials. This review emphasizes the multi-functionality of rapeseed as a promising crop for sustainable development. It confirms that rapeseed cultivation can enhance agricultural productivity, support environmental conservation, and reduce ecological risks, particularly in newly reclaimed lands under the pressures of global climate change.

Crop yields are significantly impacted by adverse climatic events during flowering. Accurately predicting flowering periods is crucial for optimizing strategies to enhance crop yields. Previous studies used crop models to predict flowering periods, challenging due to limited sowing date data and generalizability across different cultivars and environment. In this study, plot experiments and high-throughput field phenotypes were coupled to determine the impact of genotype-environment-management interaction (G x E x M) on the flowering period of winter rapeseed in the Yangtze River Basin. The findings indicated that the pre-winter leaf area index adeptly indicated the impact of sowing dates on flowering period. The leaf color during winter distinguished the genotype effects, and the cumulative temperature between 50 and 60 days after the winter solstice (WS) was identified as the pivotal climate factor. The predictive indicators for the flowering period were referenced to the time point of the WS, alleviating the constraints of uncertain sowing dates. A combination of these indicators could be used to predict the flowering period in 24 winter rapeseed cultivars with an error of < 4 days at experimental plots across the Yangtze River Basin. Notably, the accuracy of flowering prediction model was validated on an actual farmland in Jingzhou City, aligning well with the observed flowering dynamics from satellite data. To extend the utility of the model to regional scales, distribution maps of the flowering period were generated using a linear regression model that correlated post-winter cumulative temperature with the flowering period, considering a 2.0 degrees C warming level by 2050 across the entire Yangtze River Basin. Results show higher temperatures or lower cumulative solar radiation during the flowering period will appear in many regions in the Yangtze River Basin. The findings of this study hold promise for aiding region-specific crop cultivation and breeding in the future.

Reports on the effects of planting density on rapeseed oil body (OB) characteristics are limited. Herein, the composition and structure of OBs extracted from six rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) genotypes with radically different plant architectures under the planting density of 45 x 104 and 75 x 104 plants ha-1 were studied. Compared with 45 x 104 plants ha-1, the lipid, unsaturated fatty acid, and hydrophobic amino acid contents of OBs under the density of 75 x 104 plants ha-1 were increased by 2.49 %, 0.10-1.54 %, and 0.36-3.99 %, respectively. With increasing planting density, the protein content decreased by 0.73 %, and the secondary structure of protein became loose. These changes weakened protein-protein interactions while enhancing protein-lipid binding on the OB surface, leading to an increase in the absolute zeta potential by 15.66 % and a reduction in the average particle size by 22.80 %. An increased planting density may improve the stability of rapeseed OBs; however, interspecific differences in OB stability were also observed, which was attributed to the synergistic effects between composition changes and interaction properties of OBs. Rapeseed OBs derived from the tall-stem plant type (Chuanyou20) under dense planting may be appropriate for commercial applications due to their superior nutrient content and stability. These findings provide new insights into the dense planting of rapeseed and the selection of suitable rapeseed genotypes for manufacture OB-based products.