Growth and Transpiration Responses of Elephantgrass and Energycane to Soil Drying

• DOI: 10.2135/cropsci2017.01.0019
• Publication Date: 2017-11-16T22:32:32Z
• Authors: Xi Liang; John E. Erickson; Lynn E. Sollenberger; Diane L. Rowland; Maria L. Silveira; Wilfred Vermerris
• Keywords: Pennisetum purpureum

ABSTRACT Elephantgrass ( Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) and energycane Saccharum spp.) are promising perennial bioenergy crops in the southeastern United States. Despite plentiful rainfall this region, these grasses have a long growing season subject to intermittent drying cycles frequently during summer fall, yet there is little information on their response drought stress. The objectives of study were investigate water relations elephantgrass genotypes under optimal inputs progressive soil drying. Three (‘UF‐1’, ‘Merkeron’, ‘PI‐300086’) three (‘L79‐1002’, ‘US84‐1047’, ‘875‐3’) grown greenhouse. Under well‐watered conditions, exhibited similar daily total use, but possessed greater average transpiration per unit leaf area E AVE,leaf ) lower shoot efficiency (TE than elephantgrass. Consistent with AVE, , demonstrated higher stomatal conductance elephantgrass, assimilation ratio (A/T). Among all genotypes, UF‐1 relatively high A/T, mass production, TE . In drying, closed stomata at fraction transpirable produced cycle genotypes. different plant use patterns indicated species difference sensitivity mild stress could be correlated density size. results from that more suited frequent between events common