Adams, C.B. and Erickson, J.E. (2017) Yield enhancement by short-term imposition of severe water deficit in the vegetative growth stage of grain sorghum. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 203 (4). pp. 309-314.
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Abstract
Water deficit is generally thought to negatively impact crop yields, including grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), but a small body of literature reports changes in crop physiology and growth in plants with short-term imposition of water deficit during vegetative development that could lead to increased yield. In a replicated and repeated pot experiment in which water deficit was imposed for 10-day periods in grain sorghum plants that were otherwise well-watered, we tested the hypothesis that relatively severe, short-term water deficit imposed during early vegetative development could enhance grain sorghum yield. The results showed that severe water deficit (~30% of control ET) imposed during two vegetative periods enhanced grain yield compared to continuously well-watered plants by 21% (p = .0356). Grain yield was correlated with average grain weight, grain number per head and shoot-to-root ratio. Yield enhancement was associated with a substantial shift in resource partitioning, as water deficit reduced root mass (p = .0032), stem/leaf mass (p < .0001) and total biomass (p = .0005), resulting in a 60% increase in harvest index. Imposition of water stress during vegetative growth in sorghum can increase grain yield.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Deficit irrigation, Resource partitioning, Stress priming, Water productivity, Water stress |
| Author Affiliation: | Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA |
| Subjects: | Plant Production |
| Divisions: | Sorghum |
| Depositing User: | Mr B Krishnamurthy |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Nov 2017 03:39 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Nov 2017 03:39 |
| Official URL: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jac.12216 |
| URI: | http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/15181 |
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