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The physiology of tiller death in grasses.
Author(s) -
ONG C. K.
Publication year - 1978
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.1365-2494.1978.tb00820.x
Subject(s) - tiller (botany) , lolium perenne , agronomy , nutrient , biology , lolium , crop , poaceae , ecology
A reproducible method of causing tiller death on individual ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L., cv. S23) plants is described. This was achieved by subjecting whole plants grown previously for 7 weeks in full light (100%) and full nutrient (100%) to either light stress (17.5% or 2.5%) or nutrient stress (10% or 0%) or various combinations of light and nutrient stress. Detailed records were made of tiller appearance, position and weight, and the probability of tiller death was calculated. Analysis of each plant indicated that the smallest tiller, which was often, but not always the youngest, was the most vulnerable when the whole plant was stressed. Tiller position was relatively unimportant in determining survival. The results are discussed in relation to tiller mortality in natural populations and crop communities.