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Effects of Defoliation on Net Photosynthesis and Regrowth of Western Wheatgrass
Author
Painter, E. L.
Detling, J. K.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1981-01-01
Body

Net photosynthesis (PN) and regrowth of 60-day old Agropyron smithii Rydb. plants were examined over a 10-day period following defoliation to simulate grazing. Plants grown hydroponically in full strength Hoagland's solution were moderately defoliated (1/2 tillers clipped at 5 cm), heavily defoliated (3/4 tillers clipped at 5 cm), or left as unclipped controls. Thirty minutes after clipping, PN rates of the youngest fully expanded leaf of a remaining undamaged tiller had declined by 6%-7% in both groups of defoliated plants. Rates of PN were subsequently monitored on the same leaves at 2-day intervals. By Day 2, PN (per unit of leaf area) of both defoliated groups had increased to rates 5-10% higher than those preceding treatment, while PN of control plants had decreased about 6%. From Day 2 through Day 10, PN rates of control plants averaged 90% of their preclipping PN rates, while PN rates of moderately and heavily defoliated plants averaged 106% and 114% of their preclipping rates, respectively. Defoliation had no significant effect on tiller production over this 10-day period. While total new biomass production of controls was almost twice that of either of the defoliated groups, the proportion of the new growth allocated to shoots, crowns and roots did not differ among the three groups. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/3898458
Additional Information
Painter, E. L., & Detling, J. K. (1981). Effects of defoliation on net photosynthesis and regrowth of western wheatgrass. Journal of Range Management, 34(1), 68-71.
ISSN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/646329
Journal Volume
34
Journal Number
1
Journal Pages
68-71
Collection
Rangeland Ecology & Management (REM)
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management