Drought tolerance of nine types of herbal grasses

Establishing perennial herbaceous vegetation buffer adjacent to a stream is considered to be an effective management to prevent nitrogen and phosphorus losses in croplands. In northern China, however, growth of herbaceous vegetation, such as herbal grasses, is affected by drought. In this study, a drought resistance experiment was conducted to evaluate nine grass materials (Pennisetum alopecuroides. Panicum virgatum, Miscanthus sinensis, Lolium perenne, Bromus inermis, Psathyrostachys juncea, Elymus dahuricus, and Elytrigia repens) under water stress during tillering stage. The results showed: 1) The growth characteristics of the nine grasses were significantly different. The tiller of L. perenne and P. juncea was the best, whereas the growth rate of E. repens was fast among these nine grasses. 2) The tillers and growth of all nine grasses were affected by drought, reducing their biomass. At the same time, under medium and heavy drought stresses the tiller number of P. alopecuroides and E. repens was significantly higher than that of other grasses. 3) The root length of Beijing No.1 (E. repens) was significantly greater relative to the control . The root length and surface area of P. virgatum also increased. 4) The drought-tolerance of the nine grasses was in the following order: P. alopecuroides>Beijing No.2 (E. repens)>P. virgatum>M. sinensis>B. inermis>Beijing No.1(E. repens)>E. dahuricus and L. perenne>P. juncea.