Offered Papers Theme B: Grassland and the Environment
Description
Due to the regular occurrence of drought in southern Africa, there is a need for more research on drought tolerant fodder plants such as Opuntia (cactus pear) species. In contrast with the cladode system, the roots of cactus pear have received little attention, however, they certainly differ from other plants, as they develop xeromorphic characteristics, enabling the plant to survive prolonged periods of drought (Nobel, 1988). The influence of different water applications was evaluated in terms of root and cladode mass, water-use efficiency (WUE) and root length for one-year-old plants of Opuntia ficus-indica (cultivar Morado) and O. robusta (cultivar Monterey).
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Influence of Water Stress on Root/Cladode Ratio and Water-Use Efficiency of Opuntia Ficus-Indica and O. Robusta
Due to the regular occurrence of drought in southern Africa, there is a need for more research on drought tolerant fodder plants such as Opuntia (cactus pear) species. In contrast with the cladode system, the roots of cactus pear have received little attention, however, they certainly differ from other plants, as they develop xeromorphic characteristics, enabling the plant to survive prolonged periods of drought (Nobel, 1988). The influence of different water applications was evaluated in terms of root and cladode mass, water-use efficiency (WUE) and root length for one-year-old plants of Opuntia ficus-indica (cultivar Morado) and O. robusta (cultivar Monterey).
