scholarly journals Growth and Physiological Traits Associated with Drought Survival and Post-drought Recovery in Perennial Turfgrass Species

2010 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Chai ◽  
Fang Jin ◽  
Emily Merewitz ◽  
Bingru Huang

The objective of this study was to determine physiological traits for drought survival and post-drought recovery upon re-watering in two C3 perennial grass species, kentucky bluegrass [KBG (Poa pratensis)] and perennial ryegrass [PRG (Lolium perenne)]. Plants were maintained well watered or exposed to drought stress by withholding irrigation and were then re-watered in a growth chamber. KBG had significantly higher grass quality and leaf photochemical efficiency, and lower electrolyte leakage than PRG during 20 days of drought. After 7 days of re-watering, drought-damaged leaves were rehydrated to the control level in KBG, but could not fully recover in PRG. KBG produced a greater number of new roots, while PRG had more rapid elongation of new roots after 16 days of re-watering. Superior drought tolerance in KBG was associated with osmotic adjustment, higher cell wall elasticity, and lower relative water content at zero turgor. Osmotic adjustment, cell wall elasticity, and cell membrane stability could play important roles in leaf desiccation tolerance and drought survival in perennial grass species. In addition, post-drought recovery of leaf hydration level and physiological activity could be associated with the accumulation of carbohydrates in leaves and rhizomes during drought stress and new root production after re-watering.

2011 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
pp. 247-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lixin Xu ◽  
Liebao Han ◽  
Bingru Huang

The objectives of this study were to examine antioxidant enzyme responses to drought stress and rewatering at both enzymatic activity and transcript levels and to determine the major antioxidant processes associated with drought tolerance and post-drought recovery for a perennial grass species, kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis). Antioxidant enzyme responses to drought and rewatering in a drought-tolerant cultivar (Midnight) and a drought-sensitive cultivar (Brilliant) were compared in a growth chamber. Plants were exposed to 22 days of drought stress for ‘Midnight’ and 18 days for ‘Brilliant’ before rewatering to allow the leaf relative water content (RWC) of both cultivars to drop to the same level. ‘Midnight’ exhibited higher photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) and lower electrolyte leakage compared with ‘Brilliant’ when at the same water deficit status (26% to 28% RWC). After 6 days of rewatering, all physiological parameters returned to the control level for ‘Midnight’, but only Fv/Fm fully recovered for ‘Brilliant’. The transcript level of cytosolic copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (cyt Cu/Zn SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) was significantly higher in ‘Midnight’ than in ‘Brilliant’ when exposed to the same level of water deficit (26% to 28% RWC), suggesting that SOD and APX could be involved in scavenging oxidative stress-induced reactive oxygen species in kentucky bluegrass through changes in the level of gene expression. Significantly higher activities of APX, monodehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, and dehydroascorbate reductase as well as lower lipid peroxidation levels were observed in ‘Midnight’ versus ‘Brilliant’ when exposed to drought. However, the activities of SOD, catalase (CAT), and guaiacol peroxidase (POD) did not differ between the two cultivars. After 6 days of rewatering, ‘Midnight’ displayed significantly higher activity levels of CAT, POD, and APX compared with ‘Brilliant’. The enzyme activity results indicate that enzymes involved in the ascorbate–glutathine cycle may play important roles in antioxidant protection to drought damage, whereas CAT, POD, and APX could be associated with better post-drought recovery in kentucky bluegrass.


2020 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-497
Author(s):  
Xiqing Ma ◽  
Jingjin Yu ◽  
Lili Zhuang ◽  
Yi Shi ◽  
William Meyer ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims Rhizomes are key organs for the establishment of perennial grass stands and adaptation to environmental stress. However, mechanisms regulating rhizome initiation and elongation under drought stress and during post-drought recovery remain unclear. The objective of this study is to investigate molecular factors and metabolic processes involved in drought effects and post-drought recovery in rhizome growth in perennial grass species by comparative transcriptomic and proteomic profiling. Methods Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) (B-type rhizome genotype, ‘BR’) plants were exposed to drought stress and re-watering in growth chambers. The number and length of rhizomes were measured following drought stress and re-watering. Hormone and sugar contents were analysed, and transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were performed to identify metabolic factors, genes and proteins associated with rhizome development. Key Results Rhizome initiation and elongation were inhibited by drought stress, and were associated with increases in the contents of abscisic acid (ABA) and soluble sugars, but declines in the contents of indoleacetic acid (IAA), zeatin riboside (ZR) and gibberellin (GA4). Genes involved in multiple metabolic processes and stress defence systems related to rhizome initiation exhibited different responses to drought stress, including ABA signalling, energy metabolism and stress protection. Drought-inhibition of rhizome elongation could be mainly associated with the alteration of GA4 and antioxidants contents, energy metabolism and stress response proteins. Upon re-watering, new rhizomes were regenerated from rhizome nodes previously exposed to drought stress, which was accompanied by the decline in ABA content and increases in IAA, ZR and GA4, as well as genes and proteins for auxin, lipids, lignin and nitrogen metabolism. Conclusions Drought-inhibition of rhizome initiation and elongation in tall fescue was mainly associated with adjustments in hormone metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and stress-defence systems. Rhizome regeneration in response to re-watering involved reactivation of hormone and lipid metabolism, secondary cell-wall development, and nitrogen remobilization and cycling.


2020 ◽  
Vol 150 ◽  
pp. 133-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hatim Al-Yasi ◽  
Houneida Attia ◽  
Khalid Alamer ◽  
Fahmy Hassan ◽  
Esmat Ali ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaolong Wang ◽  
Bingru Huang ◽  
Qingzhang Xu

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.


Author(s):  
J. J. Soroka ◽  
Bruce D. Gossen

Many arthropods have been reported (but none confirmed) as causal agents of sterile seed heads in perennial grass seed fields, known as silvertop or white head. Field studies to identify the arthropods that cause silvertop were conducted in five perennial grass species at seven sites in Saskatchewan, Canada over several years. The effect timing of insecticide application in spring – early, mid or late – and of post-harvest residue management – mowing, close mowing with straw removed (scalping), and burning – on subsequent arthropod populations, silvertop incidence and seed yield were assessed. Samples of grass tillers and sweep net collections were taken regularly, and the arthropods collected were identified to family level and counted. Arthropod populations from sweep samples varied among sites and dates in number and taxon composition, but no arthropod assemblage was consistently associated with silvertop in any grass species. Thrips were the most numerous arthropods on tillers at all sites. Insecticide application often temporarily reduced arthropod populations, but reduced silvertop incidence at only 1 of 15 site-years, and increased seed yield at only 1 of 17 site-years. Scalping or burning did not reduce silvertop incidence but often increased healthy seed head numbers and seed yield relative to mowing, the standard treatment. The majority of Kentucky bluegrass fields had extremely low seed yields unrelated to silvertop or arthropod levels. This extensive study, across a range of grass species and management regimes, provides strong support for the conclusion based on previous work that arthropod pests are not the sole cause of silvertop.


Author(s):  
Julie Soroka ◽  
Bruce D. Gossen

Seed production of perennial grasses is an important industry in Canada, but many fields exhibit high proportions of sterile heads with characteristic symptoms in a condition known as silvertop. In a 3-yr field study, biotic stress treatments were applied to caged plots of Kentucky bluegrass (<i>Poa pratensis</i>) and meadow bromegrass (<i>Bromus riparius</i>) to assess their effects on silvertop incidence. Treatments were: 1) control, 2) addition of grass-feeding insects, primarily grass plant bugs (Miridae), 3) inoculation with <i>Fusarium poae</i> spores, 4) both insects and spores, and in one year, 5) mechanical piercing of seed heads above the last node. Additionally, cores of the two grass species were potted and removed from the field in spring in each of 2 years. After 2-, 4-, and 6-wk intervals in a cold room at 4° C to stagger plant development stage, the five treatments were applied to caged plants of both grasses, which were maintained in a greenhouse until seed harvest. In both studies, the numbers of healthy seed heads, percentage of heads with silvertop, and seed weights were determined. In the field, stress treatments infrequently and inconsistently affected silvertop levels. Regression showed that the relationship between silvertop and seed yield, although significant, explained little of the variability in yield. Silvertop developed in all treatments in the greenhouse; treatments had no effect on silvertop levels, which were highest in plants treated at the R1 (boot) growth stage. This suggests that the boot stage of the two grass species is most vulnerable to silvertop occurrence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 155 ◽  
pp. 177-186
Author(s):  
Martha Katharinne Silva Souza Paulino ◽  
Edivan Rodrigues de Souza ◽  
Cíntia Maria Teixeira Lins ◽  
Pablo Rugero Magalhães Dourado ◽  
Lucas Yago de Carvalho Leal ◽  
...  

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