Drought weakens the positive effects of defoliation on native rhizomatous grasses but enhances the drought-tolerance traits of native caespitose grasses.

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the drought tolerance, compensatory growth, and different plant traits between two native perennial caespitose grasses and two native rhizomatous grasses in response to drought and defoliation. A randomized complete block design at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre (SCRDC) of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) examined the effects of water stress and clipping on the plant biomass, plant morphological traits, and relative leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD value) of four native grasses (caespitose grass: Hesperostipa comata and H. curtiseta; rhizomatous grass: Pascopyrum smithii and Elymus lanceolatus). Drought drastically decreased the shoot and root biomass, plant height, number of tillers and leaf gr

SUBMITTER: Zhang R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6303709 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature