Authors: BUSSO C A FERNANDEZ O A FRESNILLO FEDORENKO D E
Publish Date: 1998/08/01
Volume: 82, Issue: 2, Pages: 217-227
Abstract
C A BUSSO O A FERNANDEZ D E FRESNILLO FEDORENKO Dry Weight Production and Partitioning in Medicago minima and Erodium cicutarium Under Water Stress Annals of Botany Volume 82 Issue 2 August 1998 Pages 217–227 https//doiorg/101006/anbo19980667Medicago minima and Erodium cicutarium are two naturalized annual species in extensive semiarid temperate rangelands of central Argentina A field study was conducted during 1989 and 1990 to evaluate the effects of different levels of soil water availability on above and belowground dry weight production and partitioning in these species Dry weight production by M minima was more sensitive to water stress than that by E cicutarium Although the response was more marked in M minima both species allocated a larger proportion of total plant dry weight to fruits under water stress than under irrigated conditions during early spring Percentage allocation of total plant dry weight into reproductive organs in both species and stems and peduncles in E cicutarium was correlated with total dry weight of these organs this might indicate a correlation between sink size and strength Persistence of both species in the local flora appears to be associated with their capacity to colonize open degraded areas and grow in association with native perennial grasses as well as to tolerate severe drought periods Copyright 1998 Annals of Botany Company
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