Using phenotyping and complementary VOC profiling approach to investigate physiological response of Brassica napus L. plantlets under cadmium and epoxiconazole abiotic stresses

Thanks to a laboratory, high-throughput and sterile homemade glass chambers system giving us the capacity to follow VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions at any time during plant growth, we are able to compare the phenotype of the plant and its VOC emission in the same time. Although the system could be used for biotic stress too, we decided to investigate the physiological response of oilseed rape plantlets such as model plant concerning two atypical abiotic stresses: cadmium and epoxiconazole. Experiments were achieved under several concentrations corresponding to a gradient from a tolerant to a sublethal dose. Oilseed rape plantlets phenotyping consisted in daily symptoms observation (chlorosis for cadmium stress and shorter internodes length for expoxiconazole stress), shoots and roots length recording and finally, fresh and dry weight assessment. The main goal was therefore to analyse VOC profile with a non-destructive method in parallel to this phenotype characterization in absence of interferences with uncontrolled environmental conditions. Cadmium was chosen because it can be problematic within agricultural soils (phosphate fertilizers among other things) and epoxiconazole because it is a systemic fungicide used in cereals known to be hugely persistent into agricultural soils.