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The patterns of growth, assimilation of 14 CO 2 and distribution of 14 C‐assimilate within vegetative plants of Loliumperenne at low and high density
Author(s) -
COLVILL KAY E.,
MARSHALL C.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1981.tb05145.x
Subject(s) - tiller (botany) , shoot , biology , dry weight , lolium perenne , sowing , agronomy , poaceae , nitrogen , vegetative reproduction , chemistry , organic chemistry
The patterns of growth, assimilation of 14 CO 2 and distribution of 14 C‐labelled assimilate were followed for 12 wk from sowing in individual plants of Lolium perenne grown in miniswards at either low (500 plants m ‐2 ) or high (5000 plants m ‐2 ) density. At the latter density, plants were characterised by a 50% reduction in RGR, by the production of fewer tillers, especially second‐ and third‐order tillers, and by a reduction in mean tiller weight. All the green and senescing leaves of each tiller assimilated 14 CO 2 and the overall assimilatory capacity of a tiller was directly related to its dry weight. At both densities the plant consisted of a main shoot and established tillers with comparable assimilatory activities and a range of developing tillers that assimilated relatively small amounts of 14 CO 2 . As each successive primary tiller developed it was supplied with assimilate from the main shoot and the degree of support was inversely proportional to the dry weight of the tiller. At both densities it was concluded that the first primary tiller could be regarded as an independent assimilatory unit when it reached a dry weight of about 25 mg even though some import of main shoot assimilate continued until the tiller was double this weight. The supply of assimilate to the root system was greatly reduced at both densities compared with previous observations on plants grown singly.