Abstract
Multiple studies have emphasized the efficiency of fungicides against fungal pathogens and their target hosts. However, considerable research gaps still exist that currently hinder towards understanding of the effects of exposure to doses exceeding the recommended concentrations of fungicides to non-target crops in agricultural fields. Here, we report the phytotoxic effects of two systemic fungicides, Blitox and Roko, in the non-target crop Brassica rapa L. (B. rapa) at the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels. Both Blitox and Roko appreciably inhibited seed germination and seedling establishment rates at higher doses (~ 0.3% - 0.5% higher compared with recommended doses). In addition, higher doses of fungicide treatment strongly activated oxidative stress response, thus adversely affecting membrane integrity, photosynthetic machinery, and reducing root apical meristem cell viability. At higher doses (~ 0.3-0.5% higher than recommended concentrations), both fungicides showed prominent cyto-genotoxic effects, resulting in DNA strand breaks and cell cycle arrest in B. rapa seedlings. Interestingly, the wild crucifer Rorippa indica (R. indica), which grows in the field alongside B. rapa, showed characteristically less phytototoxicity in the presence of both Blitox and Roko. R. indica plants showed lesser accumulation of the fungicides and improved antioxidant response. Collectively, these results at one end comprehensively demonstrate how the two fungicides adversely affect plant health in the non-target crop, like B. rapa. On the other side, improved tolerance response of R. indica to both the fungicides provides meaningful information towards the identification of specific targets in wild plant genomics to create the scope for minimizing the adverse effects of agrochemicals in non-target crops through genetic manipulation. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01714-6.