Gas exchange, biomass partition, and water relationships of three grass seedlings under water stress

Three grass species, switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ), foxtail millet ( Setaria italica ), and Old World bluestem ( Bothriochloa ischaemum ), referred to as introduced, traditional, and indigenous species, respectively, in the Loess hilly gully region on Loess Plateau in China, were grown in a growth chamber. Water was withheld to let the soil gravimetric moisture content (SGMC) decline gradually from 14.92% for 15 days. The gas exchange characteristics, leaf water conditions, root and shoot growth, and water use efficiency (WUE) of the three grasses were compared. The SGMC of foxtail millet declined faster than that of switchgrass and Old World bluestem, and it maintained higher leaf water potential at a lower soil water content, indicating that it might have greater drought tolerance. During the process of soil drying, the stomatal conductance (Gs), photosynthesis rate, and transpiration rate (Tr) of foxtail millet and Old World bluestem declined linearly, whereas those of switchgrass declined parabolically. The Gs of each grass was significantly different between the stressed and well-watered (WW) conditions. When the SGMC declined to ≈ 11.0%, 9.5%, and 8.6%, respectively, the leaf water potential was significantly different between the two growing conditions, showing the appearance of non-hydraulic and hydraulic signals. As a result of greater stomatal adjustment ability and a smaller Gs, foxtail millet had a high WUE. Among the three grasses, switchgrass had a high Tr and root/shoot (R/S) ratio under both WW and stressed conditions, and water stress significantly improved its R/S ratio. The results showed that foxtail millet seedlings have the best drought adaptability in the flexible soil–water environment, whereas switchgrass seedlings have the worst, but a high R/S ratio might be advantageous under drought conditions once the seedlings are established.