scholarly journals Physiological Responses to Heat Stress Alone or in Combination with Drought: A Comparison between Tall Fescue and Perennial Ryegrass

HortScience ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 682-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiwei Jiang ◽  
Bingru Huang

Heat and drought are two major factors limiting growth of cool-season grasses during summer. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of heat stress alone (H) or in combination with drought (H+D) on photosynthesis, water relations, and root growth of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.) vs. perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Grasses were exposed to H (35 °C day/30 °C night) or H+D (induced by withholding irrigation) in growth chambers for 35 days. Soil water content declined under H+D for both grasses but to a greater extent for fescue than for ryegrass. Declines in canopy net photosynthetic rate (Pn), leaf photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), and leaf relative water content (RWC) and the increase in electrolyte leakage (EL) were much more severe and occurred earlier for ryegrass than fescue subjected to both H and H+D and for both species than under H+D then H. Evapotranspiration (ET) rate increased to above the control level within 3 or 6 days of H and H+D for both species, but fescue had a higher ET rate than ryegrass at 3 and 6 days of H and 6 days of H+D. Root dry weight and viability in all soil layers decreased under H and H+D for both species. However, fescue had higher root dry weight and viability than ryegrass in the 20-40 cm layer under H and in both the 0-20 and 20-40 cm layers under H+D. The results indicated that maintenance of higher Pn, Fv/Fm, ET, RWC, and root growth and lower EL would help cool-season turfgrass survive summer stress, and that their characteristics could be used for selecting stress tolerant species or cultivars.

Author(s):  
K.H. Widdup ◽  
T.L. Knight ◽  
C.J. Waters

Slow establishment of caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum L.) is hindering the use of this legume in pasture mixtures. Improved genetic material is one strategy of correcting the problem. Newly harvested seed of hexaploid caucasian clover germplasm covering a range of origins, together with white and red clover and lucerne, were sown in 1 m rows in a Wakanui soil at Lincoln in November 1995. After 21 days, the caucasian clover material as a group had similar numbers of emerged seedlings as white clover and lucerne, but was inferior to red clover. There was wide variation among caucasian clover lines (48-70% seedling emergence), with the cool-season selection from cv. Monaro ranked the highest. Recurrent selection at low temperatures could be used to select material with improved rates of seedling emergence. Red clover and lucerne seedlings produced significantly greater shoot and root dry weight than caucasian and white clover seedlings. Initially, caucasian clover seedlings partitioned 1:1 shoot to root dry weight compared with 3:1 for white clover. After 2 months, caucasian clover seedlings had similar shoot growth but 3 times the root growth of white clover. Between 2 and 5 months, caucasian clover partitioned more to root and rhizome growth, resulting in a 0.3:1 shoot:root ratio compared with 2:1 for white clover. Both clover species had similar total dry weight after 5 months. Unhindered root/ rhizome devel-opment is very important to hasten the establishment phase of caucasian clover. The caucasian clover lines KZ3 and cool-season, both selections from Monaro, developed seedlings with greater shoot and root growth than cv. Monaro. KZ3 continued to produce greater root growth after 5 months, indicating the genetic potential for improvement in seedling growth rate. Different pasture estab-lishment techniques are proposed that take account of the seedling growth characteristics of caucasian clover. Keywords: establishment, genetic variation, growth, seedling emergence, Trifolium ambiguum


2009 ◽  
Vol 134 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongmei Du ◽  
Zhaolong Wang ◽  
Bingru Huang

Heat stress may limit the growth of turfgrasses through the induction of oxidative stress, causing cellular and physiological damage. The objective of the study was to examine the association of heat and oxidative stresses between warm-season (C4) and cool-season (C3) turfgrasses. Plants of zoysiagrass (Zoysia matrella L. Merr. cv. Manila) (C4) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreber cv. Barlexus) (C3) were exposed to optimal temperature conditions (24 °C for tall fescue and 34 °C for zoysiagrass) or heat stress (10 °C above the respective optimal temperature for each species) in growth chambers. Zoysiagrass exhibited less severe decline in turf quality and photochemical efficiency and less severe oxidative damage in cellular membranes as demonstrated by lower membrane electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation compared with tall fescue when both were exposed to heat stress. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) declined with heat stress for both species, but to a lesser extent in zoysiagrass than in tall fescue, whereas catalase activity did not change significantly under heat stress and did not exhibit species variation. Our results demonstrate that the superior heat tolerance in zoysiagrass in comparison with tall fescue was associated with greater oxidative scavenging capacity as a result of the maintenance of higher SOD and POD activities.


HortScience ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 895E-895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahed A. Al-Mana ◽  
Hesham H. Abdel-Kader ◽  
Ritchard J. Bisarove

Effects of mefluidide, paclobutrazol, and their mixture on shoot and root growth of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. `Wendy') and creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. `Dawson') were studied under container culture. Mefluidide applied alone or in combination with paclobutrazol caused significant reduction in shoot and root growth of perennial ryegrass and red fescue. These treatments also enhanced turf green color of both species and increased their root–shoot percentage, with no major effect on turf quality. Paclobutrazol applied alone reduced shoot height of perennial ryegrass and red fescue by 10% and 32%, respectively, and caused little reduction in their shoot weights, with no effect on turf quality and color. Although paclobutrazol applied alone reduced the root length and percentage of root–shoot dry weight of perennial ryegrass, it did not affect red fescue.


2012 ◽  
Vol 610-613 ◽  
pp. 249-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Hong Fei Yang ◽  
Jian Long Li

The effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) of low concentration on thermotolerance of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea cv. Barlexas) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. Accent) was studied following a foliar pretreatment with 10 mM H2O2. Antioxidative enzymes activities and antioxidant content were measured in both cool-season turfgrass cultivars under heat stress (38/30 °C, day/night) and control normal temperature (26/15 °C, day/night). While activities of catalase(CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-dependent peroxidases (GPX) were enhanced by H2O2pretreatment during heat stress. APX, GR and GPX activities were significantly enhanced during heat stress. These were likely the most important antioxidative enzymes in tall fescue and perennial ryegrass protecting plants against heat stress. The thermotolerance was also concomitant with an increased glutathione pool, as evaluated by the significant increase of the total glutathione pool in two pretreated cultivars. The increase of POD, CAT, APX, GR activities and significant increase of GPX activity prior to the initiation of heat stress in pre-treatment plants suggested a possible role for H2O2as a signaling molecule protecting them against the subsequent heat-induced damage.


1989 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart L. Warren ◽  
Walter A. Skroch ◽  
Thomas J. Monaco ◽  
John M. Shribbs

Five perennial cool-season grasses: Kentucky bluegrass, creeping red fescue, tall fescue, orchardgrass, and perennial ryegrass were treated at the 2- to 3-leaf, 3- to 4-leaf, 4- to 6-leaf, and 6- to 7-leaf growth stages with four rates (0, 0.14, 0.28, and 0.56 kg ai/ha) of the butyl ester of fluazifop. Creeping red fescue was not injured by any rate at any growth stage. Reduction in shoot dry weight increased linearly with increasing fluazifop rate for the remaining four species, except for the 6- to 7-leaf stage in Kentucky bluegrass and the 4- to 6-leaf stage in tall fescue and perennial ryegrass. Significant differences between growth stages within each rate varied with species. In general, tolerance increased at the 4- to 6-leaf and 6- to 7-leaf growth stages.


1991 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 826-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
George W. Mueller-Warrant

Formulations of fenoxaprop enriched in the R(+) isomer, HOE 46360-08H EW (described as an emulsifiable water-based formulation) and HOE 46360-05H EC (emulsifiable concentrate), were compared with the commercial racemate EC for control of roughstalk bluegrass and tolerance of perennial ryegrass and tall fescue grown for seed. The enriched EW and EC formulations were more than twice as active as the racemate per kg total fenoxaprop, despite enrichment to only 92 and 89% R(+) isomer purity, which should have increased activity by 1.84- and 1.78-fold, respectively. Increased activity was evident both as improved weed control and as decreased crop tolerance. Although the 3.69-fold increase in activity of HOE 46360 EW on roughstalk bluegrass relative to the racemate may be partly due to changes in the emulsion, the 3.06-fold increase in activity of HOE 46360 EC suggests that the S(-) isomer somehow interferes wih the activity of the R(+) isomer. Use of 280 g ai ha–1of the racemate could be replaced with 76 g ha–1of the EW or 92 g ha–1of the EC formulation of HOE 46360 for equivalent roughstalk bluegrass control, but with decreased crop tolerance in perennial ryegrass and tall fescue.


1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 736-740
Author(s):  
Sangwook Han ◽  
Thomas W. Fermanian ◽  
Thomas B. Voigt

With the increased development of new tall fescue cultivars used in turf, it is important to understand their individual response to herbicide treatment. The effect of prodiamine on tall fescue root dry weight and root length of selected tall fescue cultivars was studied in the greenhouse in 1.3-m-deep pots of calcined clay. Prodiamine at 0.8 kg ai/ha did not significantly affect either root dry weight or root length. However, the mean root dry weight and maximum root length averaged over all cultivars were significantly reduced at 4 wk after treatment with 1.7 kg/ha. When the prodiamine treatments were repeated in a second experiment, both rates caused a significant reduction in the mean root dry weight and maximum root length but there was no significant difference between prodiamine rates. Single degree of freedom contrasts between the untreated and treated turfs for each cultivar had some differential response in root dry weight. The reduction in root dry weight in the prodiamine treatments was more pronounced in the second study because the turf was less mature. ‘Olympic’ and ‘Rebel’ tall fescue had significantly reduced root dry weight at the 1.7 kg/ha rate in first study; whereas, ‘Amigo,’ Olympic, ‘Sundance,’ and ‘Taurus' tall fescue had significant reduction in root dry weight at both 0.8 and 1.7 kg/ha prodiamine rates. ‘Midnight’ Kentucky bluegrass had significantly reduced root length at both prodiamine rates in the second experiment but in general there was little difference among tall fescue cultivars treated with prodiamine.


1984 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. B. Barraclough ◽  
R. A. Leigh

SummaryThe effect of sowing date on root growth of high-yielding crops (8–1 It grain/ha, 85% D.M.) of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Hustler) was measured at Rothamsted and Woburn in 1980 and 1981. Roots were sampled by coring on five occasions and changes in root dry weight and length were determined. The average growth rate between March and June was about 1 g/m2/day (200 m/m2/day), over 5 times that measured between December and March. Increases in root weight or length with time were generally exponential to anthesis when the crops had 101–172 g root/m2 (20–32 km/m2). September-sown wheat had more root than October-sown wheat at all times, but whereas early differences in length were maintained throughout the season, root weights converged between March and June. Overall, there was no significant difference in root dry-matter production between sites at anthesis, but there was a substantial difference between years. Differences in root growth between crops were reduced by plotting the amount of root against either the number of days from sowing or accumulated thermal time. Using che latter, root growth between December and June was reasonably linear although there was some indication of a lag below 500 °C days. Regression equations obtained for the relationships between root growth and accumulated thermal time also fitted previously published data and may provide general descriptions of root growth with time.Roots of September-sown crops reached 1 m depth by December but those of October-sown crops were not detectable at this depth until April. For most crops the distribution of roots with depth was reasonably described by an exponential decay function, with over 50% of the roots in the top 20 cm of soil at all times. At Woburn in 1981, a plough-pan restricted roots to the upper soil horizons for most of the season but apparently had little effect on the total amount of root produced. For one of the experimental crops an empirical mathematical function describing the distribution of roots with depth and time is presented.Using the data from this and previously published studies, the relationship between grain yield and the amount of root at anthesis was investigated. Total root length was positively correlated with grain yield but nonetheless similarly yielding crops could have different-sized root systems. Total root dry weight was poorly correlated with grain yield.


2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gray Watson

Abstract ‘Summit’ green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘Summit’) and ‘Green Column’ black maples (Acer nigrum ‘Green Column’) were transplanted and treated with paclobutrazol (PBZ) to study its effect on root growth after transplanting. PBZ increased root extension growth of transplanted ‘Green Column’ maples in the first year after treatment, prior to the onset of above-ground growth regulation. Root growth of transplanted ‘Summit’ ash was not affected by PBZ. Transplanting reduced extension growth of regenerated roots in the first year for ‘Green Column’ maples with no effect on root dry weight. In ‘Summit’ green ash transplanting increased root extension growth in the second year, and root dry weight in both years.


2001 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 152a
Author(s):  
Zachary J. Reicher ◽  
Clark S. Throssell ◽  
Daniel V. Weisenberger

Little documentation exists on the success of seeding cool-season turf-grasses in the late fall, winter and spring. The objectives of these two studies were to document the success of seeding Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) at less-than-optimum times of the year, and to determine if N and P fertilizer requirements vary with seeding date of Kentucky bluegrass. `Ram I' Kentucky bluegrass, `Fiesta' perennial ryegrass, and `Mustang' tall fescue were seeded on 1 Sept., 1 Oct., 1 Nov., 1 Dec., 1 Mar., 1 Apr., and 1 May ± 2 days beginning in 1989 and 1990. As expected, the September seeding date produced the best establishment, regardless of species. Dormant-seeding Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue in November, December, or March reduced the establishment time compared with seeding in April or May. Seeding perennial ryegrass in November, December, or March may not be justified because of winterkill potential. To determine the effect of starter fertilizer on seedings made at different times of the year, `Ram 1' Kentucky bluegrass was seeded 1 Sept., 1 Nov., 1 Mar., and 1 May ± 2 days in 1989 and 1990, and the seedbed was fertilized with all combinations of rates of N (0, 24, and 48 kg·ha-1) and P (0, 21, and 42 kg·ha-1). Fertilizer rate had no effect on establishment regardless of seeding date, possibly because of the fertile soil on the experimental site.


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