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Carbon Isotope Dicrimination: Potential in Screening Cool-Season Grasses for Water-Limited Environments

USDA-ARS, Forage and Range Res. Lab., Utah State Univ., Logan, UT 84322-6300

Larry L. Tieszen, James R. Ehleringer and Paul G. Jefferson

Biology Dep., Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD 57197
Dep. of Biology, Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Agric. Canada Res. Stn., P.O. Box 1030, Swift Current, Sask. S9H 3X2, Canada

^* Corresponding author.

Carbon isotope discrimination () has been shown to be negatively related to water use efficiency (WUE) in several C₃ crop species and has been proposed as a criterion to select for improved WUE in plant breeding programs. This study was conducted to determine if is related to WUE in crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fischer ex Link) Schultes] and AItai wildrye [Leymus angustus (Trin.) Pilger] and to evaluate the influence of drought on the magnitude of genetic variability and broad-sense heritability of among clones of crested wheatgrass. In a greenhouse pot experiment, was negatively related to WUE in crested wheatgrass (r = –0.73, significant at P < 0.01) and Altai wildrye (r –0.81). In field studies, a line-source sprinkler system operated in conjunction with an automated rainout shelter imposed a continuously variable water application on 29 vegetatively propagated clones of crested wheatgrass. Three water levels along the water application gradient were selected for sampling and forage dry weights and A values were determined for two harvests in 1986 and one harvest in 1987. In the field experiment, declined as less water was applied and was positively associated with forage yield at each of the three harvests (r = 0.59, 0.44, and 0.80, respectively). Significant variability for was detected among the clones for the two peak-season harvests, hut not for the late-season harvest in 1986. Broad-sense heritability for was 0.49 in the analysis of data combined over harvests and water levels. Genetic variances and broad-sense heritabilities (H) for were generally greater at the high (H 0.52) and intermediate (H = 0.52) water applications than at the low water application (H = 0.37), and coefficients of variation for were typically less than 4.5%. Selection for appears to be a promising screening tool for the development of crested wheatgrass populations that are productive and make efficient use of limited water resources.

Received for publication April 4, 1989.

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