ISHS Acta Horticulturae 537: III International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops
INFLUENCE OF SOIL WATER STRESS AT DIFFERENT PHYSIOLOGICAL STAGES ON GROWTH AND SEED YIELD OF AMARANTHUS SPECIES |
| Author: | V.I. Ayodele |
| Keywords: | Grain and vegetable amaranth, drought susceptibility |
| Abstract:
The effect of stressing plants at different physiological stages on growth and seed yield of two cultivars of amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus and Amaranthus hypochondriacus) was investigated in a greenhouse. Soil moisture stress of 0.60 MPa were imposed at three different physiological stages of growth of the plant (vegetative, flowering and seed formation) and the control (unstressed plants) maintained at field capacity. The objectives were to determine the differential tolerance of the two cultivars and the most critical period with regards to drought susceptibility. The two cultivars differed significantly in their response to soil moisture stress. Imposition of water stress at the vegetative stage reduced leaf area in both cultivars. Leaf area was reduced by 20% in A. hypochondriacus and 18% in A. cruentus, compared to their respective controls. Soil water stress at flowering and seed formation led to stem lodging in A. hypochondriacus. In A. cruentus however, the flowering stage appeared to be most critical. Imposition of soil moisture stress at flowering stage reduced seed yield by 19% compared to 9% reduction observed in plants stressed at the seed formation stage. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
