Studies of the water relations of crop plants grown under natural rainfall in northern Australia.

Abstract

Studies of the water relations of cotton, peanuts, and grain sorghum were made at Katherine, N.T., on crops grown under natural rainfall during the 1952-53 rainfall season. In the early part of this season, rainfall was more or less normal and little evidence of stress was seen in the plants. The latter part, however, was abnormally dry and resulted in the appearance of severe water stress symptoms in all crops. The water balance of the plants through the season was followed using Weatherley's (1950) "relative turgidity" technique of leaf turgor measurement. In each crop the relative turgidity level was maintained at a fairly high level until the onset of dry conditions, when a progressive decline commenced. This decline, although continuous, appeared to be in two stages. It was felt that the lag of absorption behind transpiration which resulted in loss of turgor was initially due to the rapid rise in transpiration, which followed the increase in atmospheric aridity with the onset of the dry period. As atmospheric conditions became more static, the continued decline in turgor was attributed primarily to the influence of soil moisture stress, in limiting absorption. Of the three crops, grain sorghum appeared to have the best-developed root system and also the most effective internal control over transpiration. Cotton appeared to be least well equipped in these respects. These features were reflected in generally higher turgor levels in grain sorghum than in other crops, and in a slower rate of decrease in turgor with the onset of dry weather. This decrease was particularly rapid in cotton. This relative resistance to turgor loss was in turn reflected in growth rate reductions in cotton as soon as soil moisture stress appeared, but not in grain sorghum until severe soil moisture stress was evident. The peanut responses throughout appeared intermediate between those of the other two crops.