Stem and pseudostem growth play a key role in biomass accumulation of guineagrass in long regrowth cycles
Henrique Bauab Brunetti
A B * , Ricardo Ferraz de Oliveira C , José Ricardo Macedo Pezzopane B , Bruno Carneiro Pedreira D , Rogério Falleiros Carvalho E , Carlos Guilherme Silveira Pedreira A and Patrícia Menezes Santos A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Animal Science, ESALQ (Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”) - University of São Paulo, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13418-900, Brazil.
B Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste km 234 Washington Luiz Highway, ‘Fazenda Canchim’, PO Box 339, São Carlos, São Paulo 13560-970, Brazil.
C Biological Sciences Department, University of Sao Paulo/ESALQ, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13418-900, Brazil.
D Kansas State University, Southeast Research and Extension Center, Parsons, KS 67357, USA.
E Department of Applied Biology, UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista), Jaboticabal, São Paulo 14884-900, Brazil.
Crop & Pasture Science 74(4) 353-368 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP22122
Submitted: 8 April 2022 Accepted: 8 September 2022 Published: 4 October 2022
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
Context: Tall bunch-type tropical forage grasses are known for their rapid (true) stem elongation late in the regrowth cycle, even during the vegetative phase.
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the stem and pseudostem growth pattern of ‘Mombaça’ guineagrass [Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) BK Simon & SWL Jacobs] grown in field conditions and how this relates to its high biomass accumulation during long regrowth cycles.
Methods: A guineagrass field was managed from December 2017 to January 2019, in three regrowth cycles of 10, 14 and 12 weeks duration. Individual tillers were assessed weekly to measure stem, pseudostem and leaf elongation, leaf appearance; and angle of insertion of the leaves. Aboveground biomass samples were taken weekly for biomass accumulation and leaf area index assessment.
Key results: At the beginning of each regrowth cycle, the pseudostem elongated while the stem length remained constant. Subsequently, the pseudostem length reached a plateau, while the stem length increased at a constant rate. Because of a positive relationship between pseudostem and leaf laminae lengths, the long pseudostem ensured the formation of long leaves in tall tillers and positive net leaf elongation in long regrowth cycles.
Conclusions: The high biomass accumulation reflected the continuous positive net leaf elongation by the tillers and was underpinned by the younger leaves being more erect than the older ones, allowing for lower self-shading of the older leaves and greater leaf tissue retention.
Implications: The high production of tropical forage grasses in late regrowth should be utilised with caution, as it is underpinned by stem elongation and meristem elevation.
Keywords: C4 forage grasses, internode elongation, leaf appearance rate, Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) BK Simon & SWL Jacobs (syn. Panicum maximum Jacq.), pseudostem length, stem elongation, warm-season perennial forage grasses, youngest expanded leaf laminae length.
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