当前位置: X-MOL 学术Environ. Exp. Bot. › 论文详情
Our official English website, www.x-mol.net, welcomes your feedback! (Note: you will need to create a separate account there.)
Environmental explanation of maize specific leaf area under varying water stress regimes
Environmental and Experimental Botany ( IF 5.7 ) Pub Date : 2020-03-01 , DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2019.103932
Huailin Zhou , Guangsheng Zhou , Qijin He , Li Zhou , Yuhe Ji , Mengzi Zhou

Abstract Specific leaf area (SLA) is an essential functional trait and indicator for estimating plant strategies in response to environmental changes. Intraspecific and interspecific variations of SLA have been extensively studied, whereas the combined effects of soil water content and heat conditions on SLA dynamics have received little attention. Field experiments with different irrigation regimes for maize (Zea mays L.) were designed and conducted across two growing seasons during 2013–2014 in north China, which usually have onset of severe drought conditions. Our results showed that maize plant SLA decreased with effective accumulated temperature under both rain-fed and drought conditions. Different intensities of water stress beginning at the three-leaf stage (2014) and the seven-leaf stage (2013) resulted in significant decreases of leaf area and leaf dry mass, however, with no significant differences in SLA. It is the occurrence time rather than the intensity of water stress that significantly affected the scaling of SLA. Moreover, the total effect of soil moisture on SLA was much higher in 2014 than that in 2013, but it was the opposite for heat conditions. The results imply that there is a trade-off mechanism between soil water and heat conditions in shaping the dynamic characteristics of SLA. The results may give insights into the accurate simulation of SLA dynamic characteristic and guidance for the production and management of maize.
更新日期:2020-03-01
down
wechat
bug