Articles
EFFECT OF SOIL MOISTURE ON GROWTH, WATER RELATIONS AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN AN OPEN-POLLINATED AND MALE HYBRID ASPARAGUS CULTIVAR
Article number
271_64
Pages
457 – 466
Language
Abstract
Two greenhouse experiments were conducted in which asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) seedlings of the cultivars Mary Washington (MW) and Rutgers Syn 4–56 (4–56) were grown at minimum soil matric potentials of -0.05, -0.10, -0.30, -0.50 or -1.5 MPa.
Pots were saturated at the start of the experiment and then allowed to dry to the appropriate soil matric potential prior to rewatering to pot capacity.
Decreases in shoot dry weight, leaf area, storage and fibrous root dry weights, and total root and plant dry weight were an exponential function of soil moisture in both cultivars.
Most of the growth inhibition occurred between the -0.05 and the -0.30 MPa levels of soil moisture, with little further response to soil matric potentials drier than -0.30 MPa.
Consistent differences between the two cultivars, regardless of soil moisture, were apparent in leaf area, shoot dry weight, storage root dry weight and root/shoot ratios.
MW produced greater leaf area and shoot dry weights than did 4–56 at high soil moisture levels and exhibited greater inhibition of shoot dry weight by low soil moisture than did 4–56. Conversely, 4–56 produced greater storage root dry weight than MW at all soil moisture levels.
Root/shoot ratios generally increased with decreasing soil moisture.
However, the root/shoot ratio of 4–56 was greater than that of MW over the entire range of soil moisture and increased more with decreasing soil moisture than did MW. Stomatal conductance (gs), fern xylem potential (
), and net CO2 assimilation rate (A) were measured at soil matric potentials of -0.05, -0.10 and -.030 MPa and decreased with decreasing soil moisture in a similar manner in both cultivars.
Photosynthesis and water relations were similar in the two cultivars regardless of soil moisture.
However, differences in growth and partitioning exist between MW and 4–56 which could contribute to differences in field performance between the two cultivars.
Pots were saturated at the start of the experiment and then allowed to dry to the appropriate soil matric potential prior to rewatering to pot capacity.
Decreases in shoot dry weight, leaf area, storage and fibrous root dry weights, and total root and plant dry weight were an exponential function of soil moisture in both cultivars.
Most of the growth inhibition occurred between the -0.05 and the -0.30 MPa levels of soil moisture, with little further response to soil matric potentials drier than -0.30 MPa.
Consistent differences between the two cultivars, regardless of soil moisture, were apparent in leaf area, shoot dry weight, storage root dry weight and root/shoot ratios.
MW produced greater leaf area and shoot dry weights than did 4–56 at high soil moisture levels and exhibited greater inhibition of shoot dry weight by low soil moisture than did 4–56. Conversely, 4–56 produced greater storage root dry weight than MW at all soil moisture levels.
Root/shoot ratios generally increased with decreasing soil moisture.
However, the root/shoot ratio of 4–56 was greater than that of MW over the entire range of soil moisture and increased more with decreasing soil moisture than did MW. Stomatal conductance (gs), fern xylem potential (
), and net CO2 assimilation rate (A) were measured at soil matric potentials of -0.05, -0.10 and -.030 MPa and decreased with decreasing soil moisture in a similar manner in both cultivars.Photosynthesis and water relations were similar in the two cultivars regardless of soil moisture.
However, differences in growth and partitioning exist between MW and 4–56 which could contribute to differences in field performance between the two cultivars.
Publication
Authors
D. Wilcox-Lee, Daniel T. Drost
Keywords
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