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Population differences in water‐use efficiency of Eucalyptus microtheca seedlings under different watering regimes
Author(s) -
Li Chunyang
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1034/j.1399-3054.2000.108002134.x
Subject(s) - water use efficiency , transpiration , biology , population , biomass (ecology) , agronomy , shoot , photosynthesis , botany , horticulture , demography , sociology
Gas exchange, water‐use efficiency (WUE), carbon isotope composition ( Δ 13 C) and growth traits were compared among 5 populations of Eucalyptus microtheca F. Muell. Seedlings grown from seed collected across the natural distribution of the species were maintained under water‐stressed and well‐watered conditions. Gas exchange was measured in terms of net photosynthesis (A) and transpiration (E); WUE was measured in terms of instantaneous water‐use efficiency (WUE i ) and transpiration efficiency (WUE T ); growth traits were measured in terms of total biomass (TB), root/shoot ratio (RS), and specific leaf area density (DEN). Significant differences in all traits were detected among the populations. Overall population variation was 1.68–2.50 and 1.48–2.26 μmol CO 2 uptake per mmol H 2 O transpired (WUE i ), 1.97–3.04 and 1.64–2.36 g dry matter accumulation per kg water transpired (WUE T ), and Δ 13 C was −28.81 to −26.75‰ and −30.56 to −30.04‰ under the water‐stressed and well‐watered conditions, respectively. In addition, WUE i , WUE T and Δ 13 C were significantly correlated with A, E, RS, DEN and TB. The study indicated that measurement of WUE may be a useful trait for selecting genotypes with improved drought adaptation and biomass productivity under different environmental conditions.