Senescence, dormancy and tillering in perennial C4 grasses

Sarath, Gautam; Baird, Lisa; Mitchell, Robert B.

doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2013.12.012

Cited by 65 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 122 publications

(171 reference statements)

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“…Senescence is also accompanied by translocation of nutrients to below ground storage organs and reduction in metabolic activity of the crowns, rhizomes, and associated tiller buds that remain dormant throughout winter [12]. Delaying aerial senescence can lead to extended plant's growing season and significantly increases yield as long as the plant still undergo dormancy and nutrient remobilization [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Phenotyping Winter Dormancy in Switchgrass to Extend the Growing Season and Improve Biomass Yield

Razar¹,

Missaoui²

2018

JSBS

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Switchgrass is a prominent bioenergy crop. Like most perennial warm season species, switchgrass undergoes growth suspension in winter as a surviving strategy in temperate climates to protect their meristems from cold injuries and dehydration, while storage organs below ground drive spring regrowth when conditions become favourable. In this paper, we describe a reliable phenotyping method for winter dormancy in switchgrass using various traits including regrowth height after clipping in early fall (FRH), senescence percentage, date of spring regrowth (SRD), and flowering date (FD). FRH and senescence percentage appear to be reliable indicators of the onset of winter dormancy, whereby accessions that initiated dormancy early have a low FRH and a high senescence percentage. Even though it is difficult to have an exact assessment of the duration of dormancy because it is hard to determine with precision the date of growth suspension, SRD can be used as a surrogate indicator of the duration. Flowering date showed low correlations with all the traits and biomass yield suggesting that it may not be a reliable indicator for winter dormancy in switchgrass. Combining the variables FRH, senescence, and SRD in a selection index may provide a reliable tool to phenotype winter dormancy in switchgrass. The strong correlation of these variables with biomass yield makes them useful candidates for the manipulation of the duration of dormancy to increase the growing season and consequently improving biomass production. In southern regions with mild winters, it might be possible through intense selection to develop germplasm with much reduced dormancy or even non-dormant switchgrass germplasm.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reserves stored before dormancy will later drive regrowth in spring when conditions become favorable for growth [13]. Switching from the vegetative tiller meristems to reproductive tillers and flowering are driven by the perception of appropriate photoperiod and temperature signals [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotyping Winter Dormancy in Switchgrass to Extend the Growing Season and Improve Biomass Yield

Razar¹,

Missaoui²

2018

JSBS

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“…This is a mechanism for rhizomatous perennial plants to survive adverse conditions by pulsing growth. Many plants require sufficient days with chilling temperatures during winter to completely release dormancy for the normal processes of plant growth, reproductive development and subsequent yield [54][55][56]. In this study, the six locations belong to different cold hardiness zones which differ in their extreme minimum temperatures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation of C4 Bioenergy Crop Species to Various Environments within the Southern Great Plains of USA

et al. 2017

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Abstract:As highly productive perennial grasses are evaluated as bioenergy feedstocks, a major consideration is biomass yield stability. Two experiments were conducted to examine some aspects of yield stability for two biofuel species: switchgrass (Panicum vigratum L.) and Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg). Biomass yields of these species were evaluated under various environmental conditions across the Southern Great Plains (SGP), including some sites with low soil fertility. In the first experiment, measured yields of four switchgrass ecotypes and Mxg varied among locations. Overall, plants showed optimal growth performance in study sites close to their geographical origins. Lowland switchgrass ecotypes and Mxg yields simulated by the ALMANAC model showed reasonable agreement with the measured yields across all study locations, while the simulated yields of upland switchgrass ecotypes were overestimated in northern locations. In the second experiment, examination of different N fertilizer rates revealed switchgrass yield increases over the range of 0, 80, or 160 kg N ha −1 year −1 , while Mxg only showed yield increases between the low and medium N rates. This provides useful insights to crop management of two biofuel species and to enhance the predictive accuracy of process-based models, which are critical for developing bioenergy market systems in the SGP.

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“…Prior to complete end-season senescence, resorption (i.e., nutrient translocation to belowground storage tissues) is often indicated as the main driver of nutrient loss from aboveground perennial grass biomass [19][20][21]. Here, we use the term Bend-season resorptiont o connect bioenergy research with more recent ecology literature, thus advancing a more nuanced understanding of the differences between resorption and the broader term translocation [20,[22][23][24].…”

Section: Nutrient Movement and Loss Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

All Washed Out? Foliar Nutrient Resorption and Leaching in Senescing Switchgrass

et al. 2017

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Ideal bioenergy feedstocks are low in nutrients that act as anti-quality factors during conversion processes. Research has shown that delaying harvest of temperate perennial grasses until late winter reduces nutrient content, primarily due to end-season resorption, but also indicates a role for foliar nutrient leaching. While end-season resorption has been estimated, foliar nutrient leaching has not, and is a factor that could refine harvest recommendations. Additionally, establishing a baseline of mineral loss during switchgrass senescence will improve our understanding of leaf-level nutrient resorption. Therefore, we applied simulated rainfall to replicated (n = 5) plots within a previously established switchgrass stand to determine if heavy precipitation can induce nutrient leaching in senescing, unharvested foliage. Hour-long simulated rainfalls of ∼120 mm were applied every 2 weeks from early September to a killing frost in 2014 and 2015. Leaf samples were taken from the upper and lower canopy before and after simulated rainfalls and from no-rain controls and analyzed for elemental N, P, K, S, Mg, and Ca. Nutrient resorption estimates ranged from 33 to 82% in control plots.Comparison of rainfall plots to controls indicated that lower canopy leaves, upon reaching ≥50% senescence, were slightly susceptible to foliar nutrient leaching, with losses ranging from 0.3 to 2.8 g kg−1dry matter for K, P, and Mg. Nitrogen, Ca, and S were not susceptible to foliar leaching. Although statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05), these values suggested that foliar leaching was not a strong driver of nutrient loss during senescence. RightsWorks produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted. Abstract Ideal bioenergy feedstocks are low in nutrients that act as anti-quality factors during conversion processes. Research has shown that delaying harvest of temperate perennial grasses until late winter reduces nutrient content, primarily due to end-season resorption, but also indicates a role for foliar nutrient leaching. While end-season resorption has been estimated, foliar nutrient leaching has not, and is a factor that could refine harvest recommendations. Additionally, establishing a baseline of mineral loss during switchgrass senescence will improve our understanding of leaf-level nutrient resorption. Therefore, we applied simulated rainfall to replicated (n = 5) plots within a previously established switchgrass stand to determine if heavy precipitation can induce nutrient leaching in senescing, unharvested foliage. Hour-long simulated rainfalls of ∼120 mm were applied every 2 weeks from early September to a killing frost in 2014 and 2015. Leaf samples were taken from the upper and lower canopy before and after simulated rainfalls and from no-rain controls and analyzed for elemental N, P, K, S, Mg, and Ca. Nutrient resorption estimates ranged from 33 to 82% in control plots. Comparison of rainfall plots to c...

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Senescence, dormancy and tillering in perennial C4 grasses

Cited by 65 publications

References 122 publications

Phenotyping Winter Dormancy in Switchgrass to Extend the Growing Season and Improve Biomass Yield

Phenotyping Winter Dormancy in Switchgrass to Extend the Growing Season and Improve Biomass Yield

Adaptation of C4 Bioenergy Crop Species to Various Environments within the Southern Great Plains of USA

All Washed Out? Foliar Nutrient Resorption and Leaching in Senescing Switchgrass

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