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Growth and Phosphorus Uptake of Three Riparian Grass Species
Author(s) -
Kovar John L.,
Claassen Norbert
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj2008.0088x
Subject(s) - panicum virgatum , phalaris arundinacea , shoot , bromus inermis , agronomy , dry matter , phosphorus , chemistry , panicum , nutrient , poaceae , biology , bioenergy , wetland , ecology , organic chemistry , renewable energy
Riparian buffers can significantly reduce sediment‐bound P entering surface water, but control of dissolved P inputs is more challenging. Because plant roots remove P from soil solution, it follows that plant uptake can reduce dissolved P losses. We evaluated P uptake of smooth bromegrass ( Bromus inermis Leyss.), reed canarygrass ( Phalaris arundinacea L.), and switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) grown in a flowing nutrient solution culture system with P concentrations of 1 or 100 μmol L −1 Plants were destructively sampled at approximately 0, 26, 40, and 53 days after transplanting (DAT). In a separate, concurrent experiment, we simulated the effect of an inflow of runoff with low or high dissolved P by switching a subset of pots approximately 40 DAT. When grown in 1 μmol L −1 P solution, shoot dry matter (DM) yield increased in the order bromegrass < switchgrass < canarygrass. When grown in 100 μmol L −1 P solution, shoot DM yield increased in the order bromegrass = canarygrass < switchgrass. Shoot P content was correlated with shoot DM yield; however, switchgrass was the only species that had higher P content in plants grown in 100 μmol L −1 P solution than in 1 μmol L −1 P solution. When solution P concentration was abruptly increased or decreased, P uptake was affected more than plant growth. Shoot P concentration of canarygrass increased more than 3.5‐fold when the plants were switched from 1 μmol L −1 P solution to 100 μmol L −1 P solution. Shoot P concentration of switchgrass followed the same trend. The results of this solution‐culture experiment suggest that canarygrass and switchgrass would more effectively deplete dissolved P than would bromegrass.