Yellow bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng.) cultivars are used in conservation plantings in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. The recommended cultivar in southern Arizona is Ganada. However, a population from Saudi Arabia P.I. 237110, may be better adapted to the Sonoran Desert environment. This study was conducted to determine why P.I. 237110 may be better adapted to this environment than Ganada. Morphological and physiological characteristics of P.I. 237110 and Ganada were compared in five experiments. Evaluations revealed significant differences in combined stomate densities on both leaf surfaces, leaf surface area, and water use efficiency but not in apparent photosynthesis or dark respiration. Combined average stomate density was significantly lower for P.I. 237110 than Ganada (107 vs. 136 stomates mm⁻²). P.I. 237110 had a significantly higher leaf surface area (40.5 cm²) than Ganada (25.3 cm²). Apparent photosynthetic rates were not significantly different between the populations (Ganada: 12 mumol m⁻² s-1 and P.I. 237110: 10 mumol m⁻² s⁻¹). Dark respiration rates for Ganada were not significantly different (1.4 mumol m⁻² s⁻¹) from those of P.I. 237110 (1.9 mumol m⁻² s⁻¹). P.I. 237110 required 88.9 g of water per 1 g of dry matter than Ganada which required 52.3 g of water.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/292056 |
| Date | January 1994 |
| Creators | Pater, Mark Joseph, 1956- |
| Contributors | Smith, Steven E. |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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