Biomass allocation, relative competitive ability and water use efficiency of two dominant species in semiarid Loess Plateau under water stress

Water stress is an important approach to use water resources efficiently and remit the agricultural water shortage. Hemarthria compressa is one of perennial grasses, a pasture of high quality, which has abundant species resources in China. To explore the response of the growth, yield and water use efficiency(WUE) of Hemarthria compressa under water stress, this study, adapting pot experiment, imposed three water stress degree (LD, MD and SD) treatments and a control treatment on Hemarthria compressa. The data of growth indicators during control period, yield and total water consumption were obtained. The results show a noticeable inhibitory action of water stress on the growth of Hemarthria compressa. Along with the intensifying of water stress, plant height increment, leaf area, total biomass, dry matter of each organ and yield decreased, and the root-shoot ratio increased firstly and inclined to slump finally. Plants under the middle water stress treatment achieved the greatest WUE of 38.25 kg/m3. The first 10d in the water control period was the most sensitive period of the pasture responding to water stress.

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Water Use Efficiency and Stress Tolerance of the Potential Energy Crop Miscanthus lutarioriparius Grown on the Loess Plateau of China

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10030544 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 544

Author(s):

Xuhong Zhao ◽

Lifang Kang ◽

Qian Wang ◽

Cong Lin ◽

Wei Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Potential Energy ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Energy Crops ◽

Central China ◽

Energy Crop ◽

Miscanthus Lutarioriparius ◽

Use Efficiency

As a potential energy crop with high biomass yield, Miscanthus lutarioriparius (M. lutarioriparius), endemic to the Long River Range in central China, needs to be investigated for its acclimation to stressful climatic and soil conditions often found on the marginal land. In this study, traits related to acclimation and yield, including survival rates, plant height (PH), stem diameter (SD), tiller number (TN), water use efficiency (WUE), and photosynthetic rates (A), were examined for 41 M. lutarioriparius populations that transplanted to the arid and cold Loess Plateau of China. The results showed that the average survival rate of M. lutarioriparius populations was only 4.16% over the first winter but the overwinter rate increased to 35.03% after the second winter, suggesting that plants having survived the first winter could have acclaimed to the low temperature. The strikingly high survival rates over the second winter were found to be 95.83% and 80.85%, respectively, for HG18 and HG39 populations. These populations might be especially valuable for the selection of energy crops for such an area. Those individuals surviving for the two consecutive winters showed significantly higher WUE than those measured after the first winter. The high WUE and low stomatal conductance (gs) observed in survived individuals could have been responsible for their acclimation to this new and harsh environment. A total of 61 individuals with productive growth traits and strong resistance to cold and drought were identified for further energy crop development. This study showed that the variation of M. lutarioriparius held great potential for developing energy crops following continuous field selection.

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Light and Water Use Efficiency as Influenced by Clouds and/or Aerosols in a Rainfed Spring Maize Cropland on the Loess Plateau

Crop Science ◽

10.2135/cropsci2017.06.0341 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 853-862 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Xiang Gao ◽

Fengxue Gu ◽

Xurong Mei ◽

Weiping Hao ◽

Haoru Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Spring Maize ◽

Use Efficiency

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Reducing the Excessive Evaporative Demand Improved the Water-use Efficiency of Greenhouse Cucumber by Regulating the Trade-off between Irrigation Demand and Plant Productivity

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci13129-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (12) ◽

pp. 1784-1790 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Dalong Zhang ◽

Yuping Liu ◽

Yang Li ◽

Lijie Qin ◽

Jun Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Stress ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Flow ◽

Water Use ◽

Plant Productivity ◽

Plant Water ◽

Evaporative Demand ◽

Plant Water Stress ◽

Irrigation Demand ◽

Use Efficiency

Although atmospheric evaporative demand mediates water flow and constrains water-use efficiency (WUE) to a large extent, the potential to reduce irrigation demand and improve water productivity by regulating the atmospheric water driving force is highly uncertain. To bridge this gap, water transport in combination with plant productivity was examined in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) grown at contrasting evaporative demand gradients. Reducing the excessive vapor pressure deficit (VPD) decreased the water flow rate, which reduced irrigation consumption significantly by 16.4%. Reducing excessive evaporative demand moderated plant water stress, as leaf dehydration, hydraulic limitation, and excessive negative water potential were prevented by maintaining water balance in the low-VPD treatment. The moderation of plant water stress by reducing evaporative demand sustained stomatal function for photosynthesis and plant growth, which increased substantially fruit yield and shoot biomass by 20.1% and 18.4%, respectively. From a physiological perspective, a reduction in irrigation demand and an improvement in plant productivity were achieved concomitantly by reducing the excessive VPD. Consequently, WUE based on the criteria of plant biomass and fruit yield was increased significantly by 43.1% and 40.5%, respectively.

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