Impact of defoliation severity on photosynthesis, carbon metabolism and transport gene expression in perennial ryegrass
Julia M. Lee A D , Puthigae Sathish B , Daniel J. Donaghy C and John R. Roche A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A DairyNZ Ltd, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
B Pastoral Genomics, ViaLactia Biosciences (NZ) Ltd, PO Box 109185, Newmarket, Auckland 1149, New Zealand.
C University of Tasmania, PO Box 3523, Burnie, Tas. 7320, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: julia.lee@dairynz.co.nz
Functional Plant Biology 38(10) 808-817 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP11048
Submitted: 15 February 2011 Accepted: 9 June 2011 Published: 16 September 2011
Abstract
Defoliation severity affects grass regrowth. The changes to biological processes affecting regrowth induced by severe defoliation are not fully understood, nor have they been investigated at a molecular level in field-grown plants. Field-grown perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) plants were defoliated to 20, 40 or 60 mm during winter. Throughout regrowth, transcript profiles of 17 genes involved in photosynthesis and carbon metabolism or transport were characterised in stubble and lamina tissue. Although defoliation to 20 mm reduced residual lamina area and stubble water-soluble carbohydrate reserves compared with plants defoliated to 40 or 60 mm, net herbage regrowth was not reduced. Transcript profiles indicated a potential compensatory mechanism that may have facilitated regrowth. At the one-leaf regrowth stage, plants defoliated to 20 mm had greater abundance of photosynthesis-related gene transcripts (rca, rbcS1, rbcS2, fba, fbp and fnr) and 20% greater stubble total nitrogen than plants defoliated to 60 mm. A greater capacity for photosynthesis in outer leaf sheaths may be one potential mechanism used by severely defoliated plants to compensate for the reduced residual lamina area; however, this premise requires further investigation.
Additional keywords: defoliation intensity, nitrogen, pasture, regrowth, water-soluble carbohydrates.
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