Drought effects on the dynamics of leaf production and senescence in field-grown Medicago arborea and Medicago citrina

摘要

Forage shrub production in the Mediterranean region is frequently limited by soil water availability. To study plant responses to water deficit under such conditions is important for improving crop management and for selecting better yielding forage shrub species. Pre-dawn leaf water potential (Psi(pd)), plant leaf area (PLA), leaf area per stem (LA(s)), leaf appearance rate (LAR(l)), leaf senescence rate (LSR), individual leaf area (LA) and maximal leaf elongation rate (LER) were studied throughout the year for Medicago arborea (MA) and Medicago citrina (MC) under irrigated (control) and low rainfall field conditions, at the experimental field site of the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain.