Biomass production and water use efficiency in perennial grasses during and after drought stress

TY - JOUR

T1 - Biomass production and water use efficiency in perennial grasses during and after drought stress

AU - Sørensen, Kirsten Kørup

AU - Lærke, Poul Erik

AU - Sørensen, Helle Baadsgaard

AU - Andersen, Mathias Neumann

AU - Kristensen, Kristian

AU - Münnich, Cora

AU - Didion, Thomas

AU - Jensen, Erik Steen

AU - Mårtensson, Linda-Maria

AU - Jørgensen, Uffe

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Drought is a great challenge to agricultural production, and cultivation of drought-tolerant or water use-efficient cultivars is important to ensure high biomass yields for bio-refining and bioenergy. Here, we evaluated drought tolerance of four C 3 species, Dactylis glomerata cvs. Sevenop and Amba, Festuca arundinacea cvs. Jordane and Kora, Phalaris arundinacea cvs. Bamse and Chieftain and Festulolium pabulare cv. Hykor, and two C 4 species Miscanthus × giganteus and M. lutarioriparius. Control (irrigated) and drought-treated plants were grown on coarse and loamy sand in 1 m 2 lysimeter plots where rain was excluded. Drought periods started after harvest and lasted until 80% of available soil water had been used. Drought caused a decrease in dry matter yield (DM; P < 0.001) for all species and cultivars during the drought period. Cultivars Sevenop, Kora and Jordane produced DM at equal levels and higher than the other C 3 cultivars in control and drought-treated plots both during and after the drought period. Negative correlations were observed between stomatal conductance (g s) and leaf water potential (P < 0.01) and positive correlations between g s and DM (P < 0.05) indicating that g s might be suitable for assessment of drought stress. There were indications of positive associations between plants carbon isotope composition and water use efficiency (WUE) as well as DM under well-watered conditions. Compared to control, drought-treated plots showed increased growth in the period after drought stress. Thus, the drought events did not affect total biomass production (DM total) of the whole growing season. During drought stress and the whole growing season, WUE was higher in drought-treated compared to control plots, so it seems possible to save water without loss of biomass. Across soil types, M. lutarioriparius had the highest DM total (15.0 t ha −1), WUE total (3.6 g L −1) and radiation use efficiency (2.3 g MJ −1) of the evaluated grasses.

AB - Drought is a great challenge to agricultural production, and cultivation of drought-tolerant or water use-efficient cultivars is important to ensure high biomass yields for bio-refining and bioenergy. Here, we evaluated drought tolerance of four C 3 species, Dactylis glomerata cvs. Sevenop and Amba, Festuca arundinacea cvs. Jordane and Kora, Phalaris arundinacea cvs. Bamse and Chieftain and Festulolium pabulare cv. Hykor, and two C 4 species Miscanthus × giganteus and M. lutarioriparius. Control (irrigated) and drought-treated plants were grown on coarse and loamy sand in 1 m 2 lysimeter plots where rain was excluded. Drought periods started after harvest and lasted until 80% of available soil water had been used. Drought caused a decrease in dry matter yield (DM; P < 0.001) for all species and cultivars during the drought period. Cultivars Sevenop, Kora and Jordane produced DM at equal levels and higher than the other C 3 cultivars in control and drought-treated plots both during and after the drought period. Negative correlations were observed between stomatal conductance (g s) and leaf water potential (P < 0.01) and positive correlations between g s and DM (P < 0.05) indicating that g s might be suitable for assessment of drought stress. There were indications of positive associations between plants carbon isotope composition and water use efficiency (WUE) as well as DM under well-watered conditions. Compared to control, drought-treated plots showed increased growth in the period after drought stress. Thus, the drought events did not affect total biomass production (DM total) of the whole growing season. During drought stress and the whole growing season, WUE was higher in drought-treated compared to control plots, so it seems possible to save water without loss of biomass. Across soil types, M. lutarioriparius had the highest DM total (15.0 t ha −1), WUE total (3.6 g L −1) and radiation use efficiency (2.3 g MJ −1) of the evaluated grasses.

KW - Ratio vegetation index

KW - bio-refining

KW - bioenergy

KW - carbon isotopic compostion

KW - drought tolerance

KW - dry matter yield

KW - intercepted photosynthetically active radiation

KW - leaf water potential

KW - radiation use efficiency

KW - stomatal conductance

KW - Ratio vegetation index

KW - Stomatal conductance

KW - bio-refining

KW - bioenergy

KW - carbon isotopic

KW - cbio

KW - composition

KW - drought tolerance

KW - dry matter yield

KW - intercepted photosynthetically active radiation

KW - leaf water potential

KW - radiation use efficiency

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85021821649&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/gcbb.12464

DO - 10.1111/gcbb.12464

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1757-1693

VL - 10

SP - 12

EP - 27

JO - GCB Bioenergy

JF - GCB Bioenergy

IS - 1

ER -