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STUDIES ON THE ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF HERBAGE PLANTS
Author(s) -
Baker H. K.,
Garwood E. A.
Publication year - 1961
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1961.tb00250.x
Subject(s) - sugar , tiller (botany) , agronomy , carbohydrate , growing season , biology , forage , chemistry , zoology , food science , biochemistry
Two cutting treatments were applied to a cocksfoot sward, and the changes in fructosan and soluble–sugar contents of the roots, stubble and herbage were studied over a complete year. Both the soluble‐sugar and fructosan contents of roots were at a low level throughout the experiment. The total soluble carbohydrate in the roots never exceeded 4%. It is concluded that cocksfoot roots are not important storage regions for soluble carbohydrates. The total soluble carbohydrate in herbage varied with season and reached a maximum of 10%. It was not affected by cuuing treatment. In stubble the total stubble‐carbohydrate content fluctuated markedly with season and reached a maximum of 18% in October; it was generally higher on the infrequently‐cut swards than on those cut frequently. The soluble‐sugar content was small and changed little with season or cutting treatment; the fructosan content, however, varied from 2 to 16–6% and accounted for most of the changes in the soluble‐carbohydrate content. Stubble is apparently the major storage region for soluble carbohydrates in cocksfoot. Under sward conditions, the quantity of soluble carbohydrates in the stubble of cocksfoot may have a positive effect on the herhage growth immediately after winter defoliation. However, when swards are actively growing in spring, other factors, such as tiller size and number, may be equally important in determining the amount of herbage recovery growth.