Studies on the productivity of tropical pasture plants. V.* Effect of shading on growth, photosynthesis and respiration in two grasses and two legumes

1974 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 425 ◽  
Author(s):  
MM Ludlow ◽  
GL Wilson ◽  
MR Heslehurst

Two grasses and two legumes were grown at three illuminances: one grass and one legume in a growth cabinet (100, 50 and 34% relative illuminance) and one of each in a glasshouse (100, 30 and 10% relative illuminance). The response to shading was investigated by using classical growth analysis techniques, and the photosynthesis-respiration balance obtained by Watson and Hayashi's method. Shading caused a reduction in the proportion of root and a corresponding increase in the proportion of leaf, and an increase in the shoot/root ratio in all species except green panic. The relative growth rates of grasses (which were only clearly superior at the highest illuminance) were affected more by shading than were those of legumes, and the greater shading effect resulted from a greater decrease in net assimilation rate, and to a lesser extent, from a smaller compensatory increase in leaf area ratio in the grasses than in the legumes. The greater sensitivity of net assimilation rate of grasses to shading arose from a stronger dependence of the photosynthetic rate on illuminance. The significance of these findings for pasture production is discussed. Both tiller and runner production were dependent upon the total amount of radiant energy received by the plant, and in the growth cabinet, at least, were independent of its intensity, duration and sequence. ______________________ *Part IV, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 25: 415 (1974).

1952 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 244 ◽  
Author(s):  
RC Rossiter

The results of a pot-culture experiment in which subterranean clover was grown on a coarse siliceous sand slightly acid in reaction are presented. Maximum yields resulted from application of potassium, together with either molybdenum or lime. The lime X molybdenum interaction was almost always negative, but its magnitude varied with time and potassium: in the absence of potassium it diminished in magnitude, but increased markedly in its presence. The lime X potassium and molybdenum X potassium interactions were strongly positive during the later stages of growth, but only in the absence of molybdenum and lime respectively. The effects of treatment on leaf-weight and leaf-area ratio were not closely related to those on relative growth rate. The latter were determined primarily by treatment effects on net assimilation rate. Both relative growth rate and net assimilation rate were increased by potassium. The results provide further support for the findings of Anderson and Oertel (1946) that, in legumes, nitrogen is the primary nutrient concerned in the response to lime and molybdenum, and that the molybdenum concentration gives little indication of the minimum requirements for satisfactory growth. The possible effect of lime on the transport of molybdenum from roots to tops is discussed.


1968 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
MM Ludlow ◽  
GL Wilson

Hamil grass and Siratro were grown as single plants in pots in controlled environment cabinets at a temperature favouring high growth rates and with adequate water and mineral nutrients. Leaf areas and dry weights of plant parts were recorded in two experiments, to which some of the plants were common. In the first experiment, weekly samples until 4 weeks from sowing provided data for the calculation of relative growth rates, net assimilation rates, and leaf area ratios. The relative growth rate of Hamil grass was almost twice that of Siratro and appears to be the highest yet recorded for any plant. The higher growth rate for the grass resulted from a high net assimilation rate, although the leaf area ratio was lower. The second experiment used Watson and Hayashi's method, in which plants are kept in darkness for a varying number of days to separate net assimilation rate into photosynthetic and respiratory components. Data were collected at 2 and 4 weeks from sowing. The high net assimilation rate of the grass was shown to result from a higher photosynthetic rate, despite a much greater respiration rate than in the legume. The technique used for estimating photosynthesis and respiration is discussed in relation to some of the assumptions that it makes.


1970 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 183 ◽  
Author(s):  
MM Ludlow ◽  
GL Wilson

A previous study of one grass and one legume at early vegetative stages has been extended to include a further nine species of each. It confirms the superior relative growth rates (RW) of grasses, arising from very high net assimilation rates (EA), in turn dependent on high photosynthetic rates (P). Leaf area ratios (FA) varied over a similar range in both groups. RW values of grasses in the second week after sowing varied from 0.41 to 0.55 gg-1 day-1; for legumes, they were 0.31-0.36. Corresponding EA values were 1.5-1.9 g dm-2 wk-1 in grasses, and 1.1-1.8 in legumes. Within both grasses and legumes, comparisons between species can be made with less certainty. In grasses, variation in FA combined with generally uniform EA values resulted in variable RW values. Both FA and EA varied in the legumes but were usually compensatory, leading to uniformity in RW. Watson and Hayashi's method of separating EA into photosynthetic and respiratory components was used. Differences both between and within grasses and legumes were shown, but there are probably important errors in this technique, particularly where there are discrepancies between light and dark respiration.


1987 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Singh ◽  
P. N. Gururaja Rao

In sugar cane, investigations made earlier (Singh & Gururaja Rao, 1985) have shown that high-yielding varieties have higher net assimilation rate than low-yielding types. Similarly, differences in progeny means for relative growth rate and net assimilation rate have been reported by George (1965). In other crops also, varietal differences in leaf area index and net assimilation rate have been reported (Watson, 1947). It appears that in this crop, limited attempts have been made to study all the growth characteristics. This paper describes the differences in most of the growth characteristics in six sugar-cane varieties.


1992 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 109 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Masle

Genotypes of wheat and barley, including modern and landrace lines, were compared in their response to soil resistance to root penetration during the early vegetative phase (up to 5 leaf stage). All genotypes exhibited reduced growth and transpiration rates at high soil resistance, but there was large variation in the magnitude and time course of these effects and in the mechanisms underlying the growth reduction (changes in net assimilation rate, carbon partitioning within the plant, relative effects of leaf primordia development, versus growth of expanding leaves). Similar wide ranges of responses were observed among landrace and modern wheats. In both wheat and barley, the genotypes with lower sensitivity to soil resistance, in terms of relative growth rate, were those with the slowest net assimilation rate and root growth rate at low soil resistance, and those for which carbon allocation to the impeded roots, relative to the shoot, was significantly increased, to the extent that root relative growth rate even became greater (in terms of mass, not of length) than on loose soil. For a number of genotypes, growth was slowed down throughout the experiment whereas for others it was reduced only during the first few days following germination. In contrast, transpiration rate was at all stages lower at high than at low soil resistance. This indicates that the effects of soil resistance to root penetration on stomatal conductance involve different controls - or different sensitivities to a common signal - from those operating on cell division and expansion.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 1641
Author(s):  
Felipe Koch ◽  
Ivan Ricardo Carvalho ◽  
Vinícius Jardel Szareski ◽  
Gustavo Henrique Demari ◽  
Manoela Andrade Monteiro ◽  
...  

Wheat is one of the most cultivated cereals worldwide. Some wheat genotypes may be used for dual purposes that is, in the production of animal fodder and grains. The objective of this study was to compare the growth, partitioning of assimilates, and seed vigor expression of dual-purpose wheat cultivars originating from seeds produced by plants subjected to different cutting management systems. Dual-purpose wheat seeds in the vegetative period were used for this study; these were obtained from the cultivar BRS Umbu produced by plants subjected to different cutting management systems. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme, with four replications. The treatments comprised a combination of four seed production systems (one, two, and three cuts) and eight planting seasons (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 days after emergence [DAE]). Total dry-mass, dry-mass production rate, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate, leaf area index, solar energy conversion efficiency, dry-mass partitioning, seedling emergence in the field, and emergence speed index were evaluated. Data regarding seedling emergence and emergence speed index were adjusted by orthogonal polynomials. Primary growth data were evaluated from the simple logistic equation. From 60 DAE, an inversion of the values of total dry-mass was observed, and the maximum values were observed in plants from seeds produced without cutting management. The highest dry-mass production rates were noted for plants produced by seeds of plants not subjected to cutting management. The highest relative growth rates were noted among plants originating from seeds produced by plants subjected to three- and two-cut treatments. The net assimilation rate was higher in plants originating from seeds produced from plants subjected to cutting management systems. The highest values of emergence were observed for seeds obtained from the three-cut treatment. Similarly, an increase in the values of emergence speed index was observed in seeds from plants subjected to one-cut treatment. Dual-purpose wheat cultivars originating from seeds produced in the absence of cutting management presented higher total dry-mass, dry-mass production rate, and relative growth rate. The net assimilation rate was higher in plants from seeds produced with cutting management systems. Plants produced from seeds subjected to the three-cut production management resulted in more vigorous seeds.


2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 733-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Aparecida Giacomini ◽  
Sila Carneiro da Silva ◽  
Daniel Oliveira de Lucena Sarmento ◽  
Cauê Varesqui Zeferino ◽  
Salim Jacaúna Souza Júnior ◽  
...  

Grazing strategies alter sward leaf area patterns of growth, affecting herbage accumulation and utilisation. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the growth of marandu palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) swards subjected to strategies of intermittent stocking. The experiment was carried out in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil, from October/2004 to September/2005. Swards were grazed at 95 and 100% canopy light interception (LI) to post-grazing heights of 10 and 15 cm, following a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with four replications in a randomised complete block design. The response variables evaluated were: crop growth rate, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate, leaf area ratio and leaf weight ratio. In early and late spring, the highest crop growth rate was recorded for treatment 95/15 (11.2 and 10.1 g m-2 day-1, respectively), along with high values of net assimilation rate (4.4 and 6.9 g m-2 day-1, respectively), leaf area ratio (0.0095 and 0.0103 m-2 g-1, respectively) and leaf weight ratio (0.56 and 0.56 g g-1, respectively). To compensate reductions in net assimilation rate plants made some morphological and physiological adjustments increasing leaf area and leaf weight ratio. Relative growth rate and net assimilation rate were 26 and 50% higher, respectively, on swards grazed at 95% than at 100% LI. In early spring treatments 100/10 and 95/15 resulted in the highest relative growth rate (0.086 and 0.059 g m-2 day-1, respectively). Treatment 95/15 resulted in the most favourable pattern of growth (crop growth rate, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate), particularly during the transition period between winter and spring.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. A. Mondal ◽  
A. B. Puteh ◽  
M. A. Malek ◽  
M. R. Ismail ◽  
M. Y. Rafii ◽  
...  

Growth parameters such as leaf area (LA), total dry mass (TDM) production, crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), and net assimilation rate (NAR) were compared in six varieties of mungbean under subtropical condition (24°8′ N 90°0′ E) to identify limiting growth characters for the efficient application of physiology breeding for higher yields. Results revealed that a relatively smaller portion of TDM was produced before flower initiation and the bulk of it after anthesis. The maximum CGR was observed during pod filling stage in all the varieties due to maximum leaf area (LA) development at this stage. Two plant characters such as LA and CGR contributed to the higher TDM production. Results indicated that high yielding mungbean varieties should possess larger LA, higher TDM production ability, superior CGR at all growth stages, and high relative growth rate and net assimilation rate at vegetative stage which would result in superior yield components.


1980 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Farmer Jr.

Classical growth analysis was used to examine the basis of major variation in seedling growth characteristics among and within six deciduous tree species in nursery beds. A combination of high investment in leaf area and substantial net assimilation rate accounted for the high relative growth rate of Liriodendrontulipifera L. and Prunusserotina Ehrh.; these species also produced the largest seedlings in the test. Final weight of four Quercus species was closely associated with initial leaf area established at germination; Q. rubra L. and Q. prinus L. had the largest seedlings despite having net assimilation rates lower than Q. alba L. and Q. ilicifolia Wangenh., the smallest seedlings in the test. Within species, relative growth rate was significantly correlated with both net assimilation rate and relative growth rate of leaf area. Leaf area partition coefficient was positively correlated with relative growth rate in L. tulipifera, P. serotina, and Q. rubra but not in Q. alba, Q. prinus, and Q. ilicifolia.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document