Poster

         Ecophysiology

Effects of watering treatments on growth and development of important crop species

Presenting Author
Tori Ott
Description
Environmental conditions, particularly water stress, impact crop growth and development, and therefore influence crop productivity and yield. The purpose of our research was to examine how five important crop species were affected by flood, drought, and well-watered conditions. Corn, wheat, barley, mustard, and clover were exposed to flood, drought, and well-watered treatments in greenhouse conditions. Plant morphology, photosynthetic ability, leaf chlorophyll content, biomass, and root anatomy were measured and were affected by drought and flooding treatments in all species. Plants responded differently to watering treatments based on species. Growth, in terms of biomass and plant height, was affected by drought and flooding, with flooding having a greater impact. Both flooding and drought reduced biomass by more than half. Flowering was reduced by drought or flooding to different degrees across species, which would reduce grain production in crop plants. Leaf chlorophyll content was reduced most notably by flooding, reducing photosynthetic ability. Root aerenchyma was increased by flooding, which supplies oxygen internally to support respiration in submerged tissues. Flooding had a greater effect on the overall growth and development of plants than did drought. Taken together, these impacts of water stress can profoundly affect the growth of crop species and reduce agricultural productivity. The negative impacts of water stress should be mitigated for ideal crop growth and agricultural output.