Class
Article
College
College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Department
Plants, Soils, and Climate Department
Faculty Mentor
Kelly Kopp
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Water-wise plants are essential for appealing landscapes in water-scare regions. Buffaloberry (Shepherdia ×utahensis ‘Torrey’) is an ornamental plant developed for water-wise landscaping. This plant shows outstanding performance with minimum water requirements. However, no research has been conducted to investigate its drought tolerance mechanisms. Plants were grown using an automated irrigation system, and the substrate water contents (SWCs) were controlled at 0.05 to 0.40 m3/m3 using soil moisture sensors for 50 days. The results showed that total irrigation volume, substrate permittivity (soil moisture level), and plant transpiration rate decreased, while plant turgor pressure increased with decreasing SWCs. Also, plant growth of ‘Torrey’ hybrid buffaloberry was affected by water stress. The root-shoot ratio increased to improve water uptake when SWC decreased. In addition, leaf curling level increased along with decreasing SWCs to reduce radiation absorbance. Plants under water stress also had small leaves and low stomatal conductance to control water loss. According to the results, buffaloberry can acclimate to water stress using multiple strategies, including reduced water loss, reduced radiation absorbance, and improved water uptake. Presentation Time: Thursday, 9-10 a.m.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-8-2021 12:00 AM
Included in
Mechanisms of Water-Wise Ornamental Plant to Tolerate Water Stress
Logan, UT
Water-wise plants are essential for appealing landscapes in water-scare regions. Buffaloberry (Shepherdia ×utahensis ‘Torrey’) is an ornamental plant developed for water-wise landscaping. This plant shows outstanding performance with minimum water requirements. However, no research has been conducted to investigate its drought tolerance mechanisms. Plants were grown using an automated irrigation system, and the substrate water contents (SWCs) were controlled at 0.05 to 0.40 m3/m3 using soil moisture sensors for 50 days. The results showed that total irrigation volume, substrate permittivity (soil moisture level), and plant transpiration rate decreased, while plant turgor pressure increased with decreasing SWCs. Also, plant growth of ‘Torrey’ hybrid buffaloberry was affected by water stress. The root-shoot ratio increased to improve water uptake when SWC decreased. In addition, leaf curling level increased along with decreasing SWCs to reduce radiation absorbance. Plants under water stress also had small leaves and low stomatal conductance to control water loss. According to the results, buffaloberry can acclimate to water stress using multiple strategies, including reduced water loss, reduced radiation absorbance, and improved water uptake. Presentation Time: Thursday, 9-10 a.m.