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

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Byrd, G.T. Articles by May, P.A. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Byrd, G.T. Articles by May, P.A., II Agricola Articles by Byrd, G.T. Articles by May, P.A.

CROP PHYSIOLOGY & METABOLISM

Physiological Comparisons of Switchgrass Cultivars Differing in Transpiration Efficiency

II, Department of Biology, St. Michael's College, Winooski Park, Colchester, VT 05439 USA

gbyrd{at}smcvt.edu

Production of forage species like switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is often relegated to areas with minimal inputs of water and fertilizer, therefore, selection should be based on efficient use of these resources. This study examined genotypic variation in switchgrass transpiration efficiency (TE), defined as the weight of dry matter per unit of water transpired, under conditions of water and N stress. Since reports show TE to be correlated with specific leaf weight (SLW) and leaf ash, these easily measured traits were assessed for their potential as predictors of switchgrass TE. In one greenhouse experiment with nine cultivars and two outdoor experiments with two cultivars, plants were grown in closed containers in a soil–peat mix or solution culture and subjected to water or N deficit. Cultivars differed in TE; however, TE did not differ between water stressed and well-watered conditions. With decreasing N in solution, TE also decreased. Cultivars differed in their values of TE when grown in nutrient solutions containing 10.0 and 1.0 mM N, but not at 0.3 mM N. Transpiration efficiency was positively correlated with SLW in each experiment and across all experiments . Correlation between TE and leaf ash was inconsistent, with a negative relationship in the water stress experiment and a positive relationship in the N experiment. The results show differences in TE among switchgrass cultivars and show that SLW is consistently predictive of TE.

Abbreviations: SLW, specific leaf weight • TE, transpiration efficiency • , ¹³C discrimination

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. D. Casler, K. P. Vogel, C. M. Taliaferro, N. J. Ehlke, J. D. Berdahl, E. C. Brummer, R. L. Kallenbach, C. P. West, and R. B. Mitchell Latitudinal and Longitudinal Adaptation of Switchgrass Populations Crop Sci., November 7, 2007; 47(6): 2249 - 2260. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]