HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ehrler, W. L. Articles by Nakayama, F. S. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Ehrler, W. L. Articles by Nakayama, F. S. Agricola Articles by Ehrler, W. L. Articles by Nakayama, F. S.

Relations Among Relative Leaf Water Content, Growth, and Rubber Accumulation in Guayule¹

The relative leaf water content (RLWC) was determined guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) to quantify the effect of soil water deficits on growth and rubber yield. The RLWC was measured from June to November of 1982 in guayule cultivars 593, N565-II, and 11591 that had been planted in April 1981 at Mesa, AR. The RLWC measurements were made 1 h after solar noon on treatments I₁ and I₆, where the criterion for irrigation was 75 and 90% depletion of the available water in the 0- to 180-cm soil profile, respectively. This resulted in eight irrigations for I₁ (1330 mm) and two for I₆ (330 mm). The RLWC averaged 80% for It and ranged from 70% to minima of 30 to 40% for I₆. Treatment I₆ resulted in statistically significant decreases in height (26%), dry weight (51%), rubber yield (39%), and resin yield (55%). These same components increased significantly from the first to the second harvest: height by 16%, dry weight by 57%, rubber yield by 63%, and resin yield by 79%. There were no significant differences among the three cultivars in any of the foregoing items.

Key Words: Water stress • Irrigation • Plant hydration • Natural rubber

² Research plant physiologist (now at the Amerind Agrotech Laboratories, Gila River Indian Community, P.O. Box 369, Sacaton, AZ 85247), agricultural engineer, and research chemist, respectively, U.S. Water Conservation Lab., USDA-ARS, 4331 East Broadway, Phoenix, AZ 85040.

Received for publication February 21, 1984.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. E. Veatch-Blohm, D. T. Ray, and W. B. McCloskey Water-Stress-Induced Changes in Resin and Rubber Concentration and Distribution in Greenhouse-Grown Guayule Agron. J., May 3, 2006; 98(3): 766 - 773. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]