Responses to drought and flooding in tropical forage grasses

Abstract

Long dry seasons or permanent flooding, typical of tropical savannas, severely limit the growth of pasture plants. This study compares the responses of water relations, carbon assimilation and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity to drought and flooding in four perennial Ca grasses: the tufted or caespitose Hyparrhenia rufa and Andropogon gayanus (CIAT 621) and the stoloniferous Brachiaria mutica and Echinochloa polystachya. Plants of the four species were subjected to medium term flooding (20-25 days) and moderate drought in a greenhouse. Leaf water potential (W), stomatal conductance (Gs) and photosynthesis rate (Pn) were measured throughout the experiment and ADH activity was measured in flooded and control plants. Moderate drought produced similar effects in all grasses reducing Gs which caused reduced Pn. Net photosynthesis compensation point was reached at the lowest W in A. gayanus which was considered as the most drought tolerant. The responses to flooding varied across species. Andropogon gayanus and H. rufa showed early stomatal closure without concurrent decrease in W and leaf turgor. This low Gs was responsible of reduced Pn and growth rate. There was a slight increase of Gs in the middle of the flooding period and both grasses recovered pre-stress Gs and Pn after drainage. ADH activity increased markedly only in A. gayanus under flooding suggesting that this grass was the most flood-sensitive. Stomatal aperture, Pn and ADH activity in B. mutica and E. polystachya were not affected by flooding. The higher flood-tolerance in these grasses might be attributed to enhanced oxygen diffusion to the roots through the hollow stolons, development of adventitious rootlets and large aerenchyma in the roots which compensate for the reduction of soil oxygen and permit the maintenance of root activity.