Biologia plantarum 46:583-587, 2003 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1024875814296

Growth and Gas Exchange of Three Sorghum Cultivars Under Drought Stress

W. Tsuji1, M.E.K. Ali2, S. Inanaga1, Y. Sugimoto1
1 Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
2 El-Obeid Research Station, Agricultural Research Corporation, El-Obeid, Sudan

A field study was conducted to evaluate the drought tolerance of three sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] cultivars, Gadambalia, Arous elRimal and Tabat, and quantify the physiological bases for differences in their drought tolerance. Water stress reduced shoot dry mass of Gadambalia, Arous elRimal and Tabat by 43, 46 and 58 %, respectively. The respective reduction in leaf area of the three cultivars was 28, 54 and 63 %. The reduction in net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate due to water stress was lowest in Gadambalia and highest in Tabat. The leaf water potentials and relative water contents of Gadambalia under wet and dry treatments were similar, while those of Tabat were significantly reduced by water stress. The lowest and highest liquid water flow conductance was displayed by Tabat and Gadambalia, respectively. Drought tolerance in Gadambalia is associated with its smaller leaf area, higher liquid water flow conductance, and ability to maintain high leaf water potential, relative water content, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and photosynthetic rate under drought stress.

Keywords: liquid water flow conductance; drought tolerance; leaf water potential; photosynthesis; relative water content; Sorghum bicolor; stomatal conductance; transpiration
Subjects: cultivar differences; gas exchange, drought stress; gas exchange, water stress; growth analysis, biomass production; growth, gas exchange, drought; liquid water flow conductance; relative water content; Sorghum bicolor; sorghum, cultivars, drought stress; stomatal conductance, gas exchange; stomatal limitation of photosynthesis; water potential, gas exchange; water stress, gas exchange

Prepublished online: May 1, 2003; Published: December 1, 2003Show citation

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Tsuji, W., Ali, M.E.K., Inanaga, S., & Sugimoto, Y. (2003). Growth and Gas Exchange of Three Sorghum Cultivars Under Drought Stress. Biologia plantarum, 46(4), 583-587. doi: 10.1023/A:1024875814296.
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