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Abstract
The response of 25 strains of Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) to drought stress was assessed in a pot experiment under glasshouse conditions. Four‐ week old plants of all the lines were subjected to 0 or 2 cycles of drought (twice wilting and rewatering). The drought stress caused a significant reduction in shoot fresh and dry masses in all lines. However, five strains, C90–1191, C90–1203, C90–1210, 77–1271 and P48–3 were superior to the remaining lines in production of shoot fresh and dry masses under drought conditions. Only two lines, C90 ‐1205 and 4007‐A, were categorized as moderately resistant on the basis of their performance in the two growth variables. The remaining all lines were placed under the drought sensitive category. Osmotic adjustment and water retention capability did not prove to be successful selection criteria for discriminating strains since drought resistant, moderately drought‐resistant or drought sensitive lines had almost similar values of osmotic adjustment or water retention capability.
The great amount of intna‐specific variation for drought resistance in this set of germplasm of B. carinata is of considerable value for the improvement of drought resistance in this crop through selection and breeding.