The Characterization of 10 Spring Camelina Genotypes Grown in Environmental Conditions in North-Eastern Poland

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This article reports environmental responses of ten camelina cultivars in North-Eastern Poland. Authors described that genotype 13CS0787-15 is a most potential crop for temperate zone from depend on AMMI model. This article contains economical information from statistical research on stable yield index of 10 cultivars under different years in North-Eastern Poland. The article was written well but need to improve some questions. Especially the title of this article should be change.

When I see the title first, I believed that this article discuss about physiological response of camelina genotypes under abiotic stresses. But this MS discussed about annual yield of 10 Camelina cultivars. Each experiment years of 2015 to 2018 were described that hot and dry, relatively warm and wet, and relatively cool and dry. The sentences should modified to relatively scientific words. Use italic style on Camelina sativa. Line 12. Authors described that the camelina is tolerant to various environmental conditions than rapeseed at abstract and introduction line 54-55. The cited reference no. 10 did not contains the information. Please cite more precise evidences. Is this sentence complete? Line 199.

Author Response

Dear Editor,

We are grateful to the Reviewers for a very thorough revision of the manuscript and the valuable remarks, which have substantially improved the scientific value and clarity of the paper. All of the Reviewers’ concerns have been addressed, and the manuscript has been revised accordingly. Please note that the number of references and the order of the references have changed. Below are our responses to the Reviewers’ comments.

Sincerely,

Dariusz Załuski, Ph.D., Sc.D.

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland

Response to Reviewer 1 Comments

Point 1: This article reports environmental responses of ten camelina cultivars in North-Eastern Poland. Authors described that genotype 13CS0787-15 is a most potential crop for temperate zone from depend on AMMI model. This article contains economical information from statistical research on stable yield index of 10 cultivars under different years in North-Eastern Poland. The article was written well but need to improve some questions. Especially the title of this article should be change

 Response 1: The title of the publication has been changed to ‘The Characterization of 10 Spring Camelina Genotypes Grown in Environmental Conditions in North-Eastern Poland’

Point 2: When I see the title first, I believed that this article discuss about physiological response of camelina genotypes under abiotic stresses. But this MS discussed about annual yield of 10 Camelina cultivars. Each experiment years of 2015 to 2018 were described that hot and dry, relatively warm and wet, and relatively cool and dry. The sentences should modified to relatively scientific words. Use italic style on Camelina sativa. Line 12.

Response 2: The relevant correction has been made

Point 3: Authors described that the camelina is tolerant to various environmental conditions than rapeseed at abstract and introduction line 54-55. The cited reference no. 10 did not contains the information. Please cite more precise evidences.

Response 3: The relevant correction has been made

Point 4: Is this sentence complete? Line 199. .

Response 4: The relevant correction has been made

Reviewer 2 Report

This study concerns with the field characterization of Camelina genotypes grown in different environments. This characterization is testing 10 varieties originated from Poland and Canada, and the phenotype is including different life history traits. The goal of the study, according to the authors, is mostly to examine the potential of this crop for cultivation in Poland and to compare between the influence of the environments on the different traits.

Overall, the manuscript is well organized and written in a clear manner. Three years of trials for 10 genotypes, and scoring 8 traits. The breadth of the genetic diversity is not very clear and some indication of the heritability for the different traits on one hand, and at the same time the breeding history of the lines usedת could give some indication as to the conclusion drawn regarding breeding potential for adapted varieties (see below). The fact that the GxE interaction is relatively low and explains less than 6% of variance, while E explains >70%, clearly indicate that there is probably low genetic variation among the genotypes tested.

Genotype 13CS0787-15, which according to authors selected as most suitable for cultivation in their experiments, also reported earlier to have high fat content, a most relevant trait for Camelina. It would be of interest to discuss the relationship between quantity and quality of the grains, i.e. besides stating that Midas with high yield has also high protein, could they indicate if there's a trade-off between quantity and quality as in cereals, for example? Moreover, it would be relevant for Camelina breeders. If they still have the seeds of these experiments then analyzing them for quality could sure improve the conclusions of this study. In that regard, it is not cler if the conclusions drawn for the lack of GxE for these quality traits (p9 rows 275-278) is based on current study, since it does not refer to any table or figure. This should be better clarified- is it from quoted works or from present study?

As a concluding remark in the discussion authors note:” results of this study indicate that the performance of camelina plants is significantly more influenced by environmental conditions than by genotype. Therefore, the breeding success of new spring camelina varieties will be determined by yield stability and adaptability to varied climatic and environmental conditions.” True, this is perhaps a trivial requestת but the conclusion is under the limitation of the relatively small panel of genotypes used in this study (n=10). Under the current material this seems the case, but overall it does not seem to include a wide range of genotypes (see above my comment regarding GxE). Therefore, this conclusion is paradoxical- how can you breed if you show that there  is not much genetic variation. Seems that a more accurate conclusion is that there is a need to bring more variation into the breeding and test the inheritance of these traits. In that regard, calculation of the heredity for the different traits is missing to conclude that genetic do not govern the traits but environment do. One additional technical remark is that this concluding sentence” camelina varieties will be determined by yield stability and adaptability to varied climatic and ….” appears at least twice in text (p. 6 r 413 and p.4 r 319).

This redundancy is seen elsewhere in the manuscript, e.g. row 231 and 324, 259 and 352. I strongly suggest to carefully revise text and avoid redundant sentences at different parts. It seems to happen in too many parts.

As part of describing the phenotype I would recommend a simplifying figure that will draw the relationship between traits, in the form of a path model to yield, for example. This might make the description given in p9-10 rows 298-314 clearer as regard direct and indirect influence on yield.

Minot comments:

P2 r76: breeding is not conducted “in response to varied environmental “, but perhaps for stability under different environments. P2 r92: plants are sown in a stand of x per meter square P4 r149-151: Unless weather variation is provided with measures, the fact that plant development significantly influences is a Conclusion and not Results P5 r61: Remove the word HIGHLY from sentence 7 rows 205 and 219: 13CS0787-08 and 13CS0787-15 are genotypes and not treatments  

Author Response

Dear Editor,

We are grateful to the Reviewers for a very thorough revision of the manuscript and the valuable remarks, which have substantially improved the scientific value and clarity of the paper. All of the Reviewers’ concerns have been addressed, and the manuscript has been revised accordingly. Please note that the number of references and the order of the references have changed. Below are our responses to the Reviewers’ comments.

Sincerely,

Dariusz Załuski, Ph.D., Sc.D.

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland

Response to Reviewer 2 Comments

Point 1: This study concerns with the field characterization of Camelina genotypes grown in different environments. This characterization is testing 10 varieties originated from Poland and Canada, and the phenotype is including different life history traits. The goal of the study, according to the authors, is mostly to examine the potential of this crop for cultivation in Poland and to compare between the influence of the environments on the different traits.

Overall, the manuscript is well organized and written in a clear manner. Three years of trials for 10 genotypes, and scoring 8 traits. The breadth of the genetic diversity is not very clear and some indication of the heritability for the different traits on one hand, and at the same time the breeding history of the lines usedת could give some indication as to the conclusion drawn regarding breeding potential for adapted varieties (see below). The fact that the GxE interaction is relatively low and explains less than 6% of variance, while E explains >70%, clearly indicate that there is probably low genetic variation among the genotypes tested

 Response 1: It’s true, GxE interaction is relatively low, because according Table 1, eight genotypes are advanced breeding lines developed at Linnaeus Plant Sciences, Inc. in Saskatoon (Canada). Only cultivar Midas was developed at the Saskatoon Research and Development Center of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and cultivar Omega was developed at the Poznan University of Life Science (Poland).

Point 2: Genotype 13CS0787-15, which according to authors selected as most suitable for cultivation in their experiments, also reported earlier to have high fat content, a most relevant trait for Camelina. It would be of interest to discuss the relationship between quantity and quality of the grains, i.e. besides stating that Midas with high yield has also high protein, could they indicate if there's a trade-off between quantity and quality as in cereals, for example? Moreover, it would be relevant for Camelina breeders. If they still have the seeds of these experiments then analyzing them for quality could sure improve the conclusions of this study.

 Response 2: The relationship between the quantity and quality of camelina seeds is very interesting. Unfortunately, it goes beyond the aim of this as the field characteristic of the spring camelina genotypes grown under environmental conditions in north-eastern Poland, highlighting the GxE interaction of some of the camelina's phenotype traits. In Discussion section I mention, that oil (or protein) yield is determined by seed oil (or protein) content and seed yield, but it is generally more influenced by the second parameter. In genotypes with similar seed yield, oil yields are more likely to be determined by seed oil content. In addition to genetic factors, seed oil content is also affected by environmental conditions. I mention about a strong negative correlation between oil content and the protein content of seeds, too.

Point 3: In that regard, it is not clear if the conclusions drawn for the lack of GxE for these quality traits (p9 rows 275-278) is based on current study, since it does not refer to any table or figure. This should be better clarified- is it from quoted works or from present study?

 Response 3: This conclusions are from work: Zanetti, F.; Eynck, C.; Christou, M.; Krzyżaniak, M.; Righini, D.; Alexopoulou, E.; Stolarski, M.J.; Van Loo, E.N.; Puttick, D.; Monti, A. Agronomic performance and seed quality attributes of Camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) in multi-environment trials across Europe and Canada. Ind. Crops Prod. 2017, 107, 602–608.

The relevant correction has been made

Point 4: As a concluding remark in the discussion authors note:” results of this study indicate that the performance of camelina plants is significantly more influenced by environmental conditions than by genotype. Therefore, the breeding success of new spring camelina varieties will be determined by yield stability and adaptability to varied climatic and environmental conditions.” True, this is perhaps a trivial request, but the conclusion is under the limitation of the relatively small panel of genotypes used in this study (n=10). Under the current material this seems the case, but overall it does not seem to include a wide range of genotypes (see above my comment regarding GxE). Therefore, this conclusion is paradoxical- how can you breed if you show that there is not much genetic variation. Seems that a more accurate conclusion is that there is a need to bring more variation into the breeding and test the inheritance of these traits. In that regard, calculation of the heredity for the different traits is missing to conclude that genetic do not govern the traits but environment do.

 Response 4: Yes, you’re absolutely right. The relevant correction has been made.

Point 5: One additional technical remark is that this concluding sentence” camelina varieties will be determined by yield stability and adaptability to varied climatic and ….” appears at least twice in text (p. 6 r 413 and p.4 r 319). This redundancy is seen elsewhere in the manuscript, e.g. row 231 and 324, 259 and 352. I strongly suggest to carefully revise text and avoid redundant sentences at different parts. It seems to happen in too many parts.

 Response 5: This redundancy is my technical inattention. The relevant correction has been made.

Point 6: As part of describing the phenotype I would recommend a simplifying figure that will draw the relationship between traits, in the form of a path model to yield, for example. This might make the description given in p9-10 rows 298-314 clearer as regard direct and indirect influence on yield.

 Response 6: The biplot as graphical presentation the relationship between all traits and genotypes has been made.

 Point 7: Minor comments: P2 r76: breeding is not conducted “in response to varied environmental “, but perhaps for stability under different environments. P2 r92: plants are sown in a stand of x per meter square P4 r149-151: Unless weather variation is provided with measures, the fact that plant development significantly influences is a Conclusion and not Results P5 r61: Remove the word HIGHLY from sentence 7 rows 205 and 219: 13CS0787-08 and 13CS0787-15 are genotypes and not treatments

Response 7: The relevant correction has been made.