Effect of artificial treading on morphology and ethylene production in four herbage grasses
1998
Hongo, A. (Obihiro Univ. of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido (Japan)) | Oinuma, H.
The study was carried out in unheated glasshouse from May to December in 1994 in order to clarify the effect of treading on morphological responses, injured rate and ethylene production in four grasses (L. perenne, S. bungeana, B. inermis and P. pratense). Germinated seeds were planted in pots including river sand. After the 50th day, the treading treatments were subjected to the following three levels of vertical pressure on an aerial shoots 7 times at a 5-day interval: 0, 5 (middle) and 10 (heavy) kgf/cm2. Plant height was lower in treading treatments than in the control in four grasses. The position of shoot apex in a soil was lower in treading treatments than in the control in L. perenne and B. inermis, but the reverse result was obtained in P. pratense and S. bungeana. Total number of tillers and total DM weight were lower in treading treatments than in the control in four grasses. Injured rate was significantly higher in sheath than in leaf in four grasses. Injured rate was the lowest in S. bungeana, and the highest in P. pratense. Immediately after the first treading treatment, four grasses evolved high content of ethylene. In heavy treading treatment, ethylene production was 11.7 nl in B. inermis and 3.5-4.4 nl/plant/hour in other grasses. Ethylene production tended to decrease gradually on successive sampling days. It is suggested that morphological changes of grass species may be plastic adaptation against treading stress
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