scholarly journals Silicon Application Increases Drought Tolerance of Kentucky Bluegrass by Improving Plant Water Relations and Morphophysiological Functions

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shah Saud ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
Yang Chen ◽  
Lu Zhang ◽  
Shah Fahad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Drought Tolerance ◽  
Water Relations ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Leaf Water Content ◽  
Plant Water Relations ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Turf Quality

Drought stress encumbers the growth of turfgrass principally by disrupting the plant-water relations and physiological functions. The present study was carried out to appraise the role of silicon (Si) in improving the drought tolerance in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensisL.). Drought stress and four levels (0, 200, 400, and 800 mg L−1) of Si (Na2SiO3·9H2O) were imposed after 2 months old plants cultured under glasshouse conditions. Drought stress was found to decrease the photosynthesis, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, leaf water content, relative growth rate, water use efficiency, and turf quality, but to increase in the root/shoot and leaf carbon/nitrogen ratio. Such physiological interferences, disturbances in plant water relations, and visually noticeable growth reductions in Kentucky bluegrass were significantly alleviated by the addition of Si after drought stress. For example, Si application at 400 mg L−1significantly increased the net photosynthesis by 44%, leaf water contents by 33%, leaf green color by 42%, and turf quality by 44% after 20 days of drought stress. Si application proved beneficial in improving the performance of Kentucky bluegrass in the present study suggesting that manipulation of endogenous Si through genetic or biotechnological means may result in the development of drought resistance in grasses.

scholarly journals Abscisic Acid Accumulation in Relation to Drought Tolerance in Kentucky Bluegrass

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 1133-1137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaolong Wang ◽  
Bingru Huang ◽  
Stacy A. Bonos ◽  
William A. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Drought Tolerance ◽  
Electrolyte Leakage ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Net Photosynthesis ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Drought Duration ◽  
Turf Quality ◽  
Relative Water ◽  
Aba Content

Drought is a major factor limiting plant growth, which has been associated with the accumulation of absicsic acid (ABA) in various species. The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between ABA accumulation and drought tolerance for kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) during short-term drought stress. Eight kentucky bluegrass cultivars (`Midnight', `A82-204', `RSP', `Alpine', `Moonlight', `Brilliant', `Washington', and `Baruzo') were subjected to drought stress in a growth chamber. Water relations, gas exchange rate, and ABA content of leaves were determined at various times during drought stress. Turf quality decreased with drought duration for all eight cultivars. Leaf ABA content increased linearly with drought stress within 11 days of treatment; the rate of the increase was negatively related to the rate of turf quality decline. The rate of ABA accumulation during drought stress was positively correlated with the rates of decrease in turf quality (r2 = 0.6346), increase in electrolyte leakage (r2 = 0.7128), and decrease in relative water content (r2 = 0.5913). There were highly significant negative correlations between ABA content and leaf water potential (r2 = 0.9074), stomatal conductance (r2 = 0.6088), transpiration rate (r2 = 0.6581), net photosynthesis rate (r2 = 0.6956), and a positive correlation between ABA content and electrolyte leakage (r2 = 0.7287). The results indicate that drought tolerance is negatively related to ABA accumulation during shortterm drought stress. ABA accumulation in response to drought stress could be used as a metabolic factor to select for drought tolerance in kentucky bluegrass.

scholarly journals Growth and Physiological Factors Involved in Interspecific Variations in Drought Tolerance and Postdrought Recovery in Warm- and Cool-season Turfgrass Species

2015 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
pp. 459-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjin Yu ◽  
Mengxian Liu ◽  
Zhimin Yang ◽  
Bingru Huang
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Drought Tolerance ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Cool Season ◽  
Physiological Factors ◽  
Zoysia Matrella ◽  
Turf Quality ◽  
Relative Water

Drought stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses limiting plant growth, while high recuperative capacity of plants from drought damages is critical for plant survival in periods of drought stress and rewatering. The objective of our study was to determine physiological and growth factors in association with drought tolerance and recuperative capacity of cool-season kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis cv. Excursion II) and warm-season zoysigrass (Zoysia matrella cv. Diomand), which were grown in controlled environment chambers and maintained well watered (control) or subjected to drought stress and subsequently rewatering. Compared with kentucky bluegrass, zoysiagrass maintained higher leaf hydration level during drought stress, as shown by greater relative water content (RWC), improved osmotic adjustment (OA), increased leaf thickness, and more extensive root system at deeper soil layers. Turf quality (TQ) and photosynthesis recovered to a greater level and sooner in response to rewatering for zoysiagrass, compared with kentucky bluegrass, which could be due to more rapid reopening of stomata [higher stomatal conductance (gS)] and leaf rehydration (higher RWC). The aforementioned physiological factors associated with leaf dehydration tolerance during drought and rapid resumption in turf growth and photosynthesis in zoysiagrass could be useful traits for improving drought tolerance in turfgrasses.

scholarly journals Effects of Abscisic Acid on Drought Responses of Kentucky Bluegrass

2003 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaolong Wang ◽  
Bingru Huang ◽  
Qingzhang Xu
Keyword(s):  
Abscisic Acid ◽  
Drought Stress ◽  
Osmotic Adjustment ◽  
Foliar Application ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Turgor Pressure ◽  
Photochemical Efficiency ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Exogenous Aba ◽  
Turf Quality

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important hormone regulating plant response to drought stress. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of exogenous ABA application on turf performance and physiological activities of kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) in response to drought stress. Plants of two kentucky bluegrass cultivars, `Brilliant' (drought susceptible) and `Midnight' (drought tolerant), were treated with ABA (100 μm) or water by foliar application and then grown under drought stress (no irrigation) or well-watered (irrigation on alternate days) conditions in a growth chamber. The two cultivars responded similarly to ABA application under both watering regimes. Foliar application of ABA had no effects on turf quality or physiological parameters under well-watered conditions. ABA application, however, helped maintain higher turf quality and delayed the quality decline during drought stress, compared to the untreated control. ABA-treated plants exposed to drought stress had higher cell membrane stability, as indicated by less electrolyte leakage of leaves, and higher photochemical efficiency, expressed as Fv/Fm, compared to untreated plants. Leaf water potential was not significantly affected, whereas leaf turgor pressure increased with ABA application after 9 and 12 d of drought. Osmotic adjustment increased with ABA application, and was sustained for a longer period of drought in `Midnight' than in `Brilliant'. The results suggested that exogenous ABA application improved turf performance during drought in both drought-sensitive and tolerant cultivars of kentucky bluegrass. This positive effect of ABA could be related to increased osmotic adjustment, cell turgor maintenance, and reduced damage to cell membranes and the photosynthetic system.

scholarly journals Genotypic Variation in Abscisic Acid Accumulation, Water Relations, and Gas Exchange for Kentucky Bluegrass Exposed to Drought Stress

2003 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaolong Wang ◽  
Bingru Huang
Keyword(s):  
Abscisic Acid ◽  
Drought Stress ◽  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Water Relations ◽  
Drought Resistance ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Turf Quality ◽  
Aba Content

Drought is a major limiting factor for turfgrass growth. Understanding genetic variations in physiological responses of turfgrass to drought stress would facilitate breeding and management programs to improve drought resistance. This study was designed to evaluate responses of abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation, water relations, and gas exchange to drought stress in four Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) cultivars differing in drought resistance. Plants of `Midnight' and `A82-204' (drought resistant) and `Brilliant' and `RSP' (drought susceptible) were grown under well-watered (control) or drought stress conditions for 25 days in growth chambers. Turf quality, leaf water potential (Ψleaf), relative water content (RWC), leaf net photosynthesis rate (Pn), and stomatal conductance (gs) declined, while electrolyte leakage (EL) increased during drought progression in all cultivars. The magnitudes of the change in these parameters were greater for `RSP' and `Brilliant' than for `Midnight' and `A82-204'. Leaf ABA content in `RSP' and `Brilliant' increased sharply after 2 days of stress to as much as 34 times the control level at 10 days of drought. Leaf ABA content in `Midnight' and `A82-204' also increased with drought, but to a lesser extent than in the other two cultivars. Leaf ABA level was negatively correlated with Ψleaf and gs. `A82-204' had a significantly lower ABA accumulation rate with changes in Ψleaf during drought compared to `Midnight', `RSP' and `Brilliant'; however, no differences in ABA accumulation rate were detected among the latter three cultivars. In addition, leaf gs was more sensitive to changes in ABA accumulation in `Midnight' and `A82-204' than in `RSP' and `Brilliant'. These results demonstrated that drought tolerant cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass were characterized by lower ABA accumulation and less severe decline in Ψleaf, Pn, gs, and turf quality during drought stress than drought sensitive cultivars. Drought tolerance of Kentucky bluegrass could be related to sensitivity of stomata to endogenous accumulation of ABA under drought stress conditions.

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