Open AccessHigh photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency of M iscanthus lutarioriparius characterize an energy crop in the semiarid temperate region
Author(s) -
Yan Juan,
Zhu Caiyun,
Liu Wei,
Luo Fan,
Mi Jia,
Ren Yongjian,
Li Jianqiang,
Sang Tao
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
gcb bioenergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.378
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1757-1707
pISSN - 1757-1693
DOI - 10.1111/gcbb.12118
Subject(s) - water use efficiency , temperate climate , photosynthesis , biomass (ecology) , crop , biology , growing season , agronomy , water use , marginal land , environmental science , botany , ecology , horticulture , agriculture
The development of second‐generation energy crops on marginal land relies on the identification of plants with suitable physiological properties. In this study, we measured and compared leaf photosynthesis and water use efficiency of 22 populations from three M iscanthus species, M . lutarioriparius , M . sacchariflorus , and M . sinensis , planted in two experimental fields located in Qingyang of the Gansu Province ( QG ) and Jiangxia of the Hubei Province ( JH ) in C hina. QG is located in the L oess P lateau, one of the world's most seriously eroded regions particularly abundant in semiarid marginal land. At both locations, M . lutarioriparius produced the highest biomass and had the highest photosynthetic rates ( A ), with the growing‐season average of A reaching nearly 20 μmol m −2 s −1 . Native to JH , M . lutarioriparius maintained a relatively high photosynthetic rate into the late growing stage in QG , for example, 15 μmol m −2 s −1 at temperature as low as 11.6 °C in October. All three species had higher water use efficiency ( WUE ) in semiarid QG than in warmer and wetter JH . In the late growing stage of M . lutarioriparius , instantaneous WUE ( A / E ) of the species nearly tripled in QG comparing to JH . Being able to maintain remarkably high photosynthetic rates when transplanted to a colder and drier location, these M . lutarioriparius populations serve as suitable wild progenitors for energy crop domestication in the Loess Plateau and other areas with the similar climates.