Biomass production and allocation in Jatropha curcas L. seedlings under different levels of drought stress

Achten, WMJ; Maes, WH; Reubens, B; Mathijs, E; Singh, VP; Verchot, L; Muys, B

Biomass production and allocation in Jatropha curcas L. seedlings under different levels of drought stress

Achten, WMJ Maes, WH

Reubens, B Mathijs, E Singh, VP Verchot, L Muys, B

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Biomass and Bioenergy, 2010, 34 (5), pp. 667 - 676
Issue Date:: 2010-05-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Achten, WMJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Maes, WH https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1592-9299	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Reubens, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Mathijs, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Singh, VP	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Verchot, L	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Muys, B	en_US
dc.date.issued	2010-05-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Biomass and Bioenergy, 2010, 34 (5), pp. 667 - 676	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0961-9534	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/28266
dc.description.abstract	In a greenhouse experiment we applied three levels of drought stress and monitored growth variables and biomass production of Jatropha curcas seedlings propagated from three seed accessions. We determined biomass allocation, allometric relationships and plant traits. Well-watered J. curcas seedlings grew 0.81 ± 0.15 cm day-1 in length and produced 1.49 ± 0.31 g dry biomass day-1. Under medium stress (40% plant available water) the plants maintained a similar stem shape, although they grew at lower rate (stem length: 0.28 ± 0.11 cm day-1; dry biomass production: 0.64 ± 0.18 g day-1). Seedlings under extreme drought stress (no irrigation) stopped growing, started shedding leaves and showed shrinking stem diameter from the 12th day after the start of the drought treatment. The drought treatment did not influence the wood density (0.26 g cm-3). The root/shoot ratio of the wet treatment was 0.27, which is low compared to other tropical trees. Both the biomass allocation and root/shoot were significantly influenced by drought. Plants of the different accessions were uniform in biomass production and plant traits. The allometric relationship predicting total aboveground biomass (B) with the stem diameter (D) (B = 0.029 × D2.33; R2 = 0.89) fits well in universal scaling models in which the exponent is expected to converge to ∼2.67 at plant maturity. Based on a small validation data set from mature J. curcas individuals this hypothesis could be confirmed. A second regression model predicts the total leaf area (LA) as a function of stem diameter (LA = 2.03 × D2.41; R2 = 0.95). The estimated transpiration crop coefficient Kcb ranged from 0.51 to 0.60 for the well-watered plants. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Biomass and Bioenergy	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.01.010	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Energy	en_US
dc.title	Biomass production and allocation in Jatropha curcas L. seedlings under different levels of drought stress	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	5	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	34	en_US
utslib.for	0703 Crop and Pasture Production	en_US
utslib.for	07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	09 Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	10 Technology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	5	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	34	en_US

Abstract:

In a greenhouse experiment we applied three levels of drought stress and monitored growth variables and biomass production of Jatropha curcas seedlings propagated from three seed accessions. We determined biomass allocation, allometric relationships and plant traits. Well-watered J. curcas seedlings grew 0.81 ± 0.15 cm day-1 in length and produced 1.49 ± 0.31 g dry biomass day-1. Under medium stress (40% plant available water) the plants maintained a similar stem shape, although they grew at lower rate (stem length: 0.28 ± 0.11 cm day-1; dry biomass production: 0.64 ± 0.18 g day-1). Seedlings under extreme drought stress (no irrigation) stopped growing, started shedding leaves and showed shrinking stem diameter from the 12th day after the start of the drought treatment. The drought treatment did not influence the wood density (0.26 g cm-3). The root/shoot ratio of the wet treatment was 0.27, which is low compared to other tropical trees. Both the biomass allocation and root/shoot were significantly influenced by drought. Plants of the different accessions were uniform in biomass production and plant traits. The allometric relationship predicting total aboveground biomass (B) with the stem diameter (D) (B = 0.029 × D2.33; R2 = 0.89) fits well in universal scaling models in which the exponent is expected to converge to ∼2.67 at plant maturity. Based on a small validation data set from mature J. curcas individuals this hypothesis could be confirmed. A second regression model predicts the total leaf area (LA) as a function of stem diameter (LA = 2.03 × D2.41; R2 = 0.95). The estimated transpiration crop coefficient Kcb ranged from 0.51 to 0.60 for the well-watered plants. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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