Understanding summer dormancy in temperate perennials can improve pasture persistence

摘要

The droughts in southern Australia in the past three decades have sent pasture scientists on the search for traits able to significantly improve plant survival in severe dry conditions. One of the most potent of these drought survival traits is summer dormancy. Several field trials conducted over this period have shown grasses with the summer dormancy trait have had much better survival over intensely dry periods than other grasses without the trait.