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Carbohydrate Food Reserves and Leaf Area in Regrowth of Orchardgrass 1
Author(s) -
Ward C. Y.,
Blaser R. E.
Publication year - 1961
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1961.0011183x000100050021x
Subject(s) - virginia tech , citation , agricultural experiment station , library science , associate editor , state (computer science) , biology , agriculture , computer science , ecology , algorithm
of Orchardgrass C. Y. Ward and R. E. Blaser ' I HE yield and longevity of stand of adapted varieties •*• of perennial grasses and legumes under favorable soil and aerial environments are often restricted by adverse grazing and mowing practices. The rate of regrowth of perennial forage plants right after mowing or grazing has been largely explained by two factors: (a) leaf area index and concurrent light interception or (b) reutilization of reserve carbohydrates stored in rhizomes, stolons, stubble, and/or roots. The ratio of surface leaf area in square feet per square foot of soil area was named by Watson (12) as the "leaf area index" (LAI). Data by Brougham (2) show that for any LAI, regrowth (daily dry matter accumulation) of defoliated ryegrass occurred at a maximum rate where light interception by leaves was near 100%. Closely clipped plants had low LAI's; hence, daily dry matter accumulation was low. Such associations between LAI and daily growth rate have been established by others (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12). These writers also showed that the optimum LAI differs with plant species. Accumulation of an LAI beyond that needed to intercept 95 to 100% of the light may result in sufficient self-shading to reduce dry matter accumulation per unit of time.