Browsing by Subject "Drought-tolerant plants"
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Item Public perception in determining water management in water conserving landscapes(Texas Tech University, 2000-05) Lockett, Landry L.Implementing xeriscape principles can save a hmeowner an estimated 0 to 80% of the water used in the landscape. However, limited research has evaluated public opinion of the performance of plants grown in xeriscapes. A survey instrument was designed to determine public opinion of the performance of five Texas native plant species grown at Lubbock, TX under 30, 60 and 90% of reference evapotranspiration (ETQ). Four hundred ten experience stratified survey participants rated plant performance once a month during a twenty-week survey period in the summer of 1999, Soil moisture levels between treatments differed only in three of the twenty test weeks. Consequently, no significant differences in the rated performance or height of plants were detected at the different irrigation levels. This research has documented public opinion as it relates to xeriscapes and found that xeriscapes irrigated with less than one-third of the ETo were able to maintain the same level of public acceptance as those irrigated with 90% of the ETQ. Public acceptance of xeriscaping will grow as homeowners become more confident in the beauty and utility of water conserving alternative landscapes. Public gardens and horticulture institutions could use projects such as this to demonstrate how appropriately designed xeriscapes reduce landscape water consumption, and maintain plants that are acceptable to the public.Item Transcriptional profiling of drought response in Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench(Texas Tech University, 2003-05) McCartor, Kayla Dawn O'NealThe identification of genetic factors underlying the complex responses of plants to drought stress provides a solid basis for improving drought resistance. The stay-green character in sorghum {Sorghum bicolor L, Moench) is a postflowering drought resistance trait, which makes plants resistant to premature senescence under drought stress during the grain filling stage. The objective of this study is to integrate phenotypic analysis, physiological data, and expression profile data to further characterize the genes controlling the stay-green trait. A detailed description of the stay-green trait, phenotypic characterization, and expression profiling data will be presented. To accomplish the objective, two drought-induced, subtracted cDNA libraries were constructed using the B35 (post-flowering drought resistant/staygreen parent) and Tx7000 (post-flowering drought-susceptible parent). 10,300 cDNAs were sequenced, representing 3075 5' sequences, 4811 3' sequences, and 2414 sequences for both 5' and 3' clone ends. Analysis of the contiguous sequences of the 3' clones shows this collection represents 3235 unique genes. All sequences were analyzed for those unique to specific stressed parent lines and assembling a non-redundant collection for gene expression profiling studies. Tissue for gene expression studies was collected from field trials and greenhouse experiments from B35, Tx7000, and inbred lines containing specific QTLs for the stay-green trait. Physiological analyses of stressed plants included gas-exchange analysis for photosynthesis, transpiration, and stomatal conductance, as well as leaf green-ness, and chlorophyll content.Item Water use efficiency and irrigation response of cotton cultivars under sub-surface drip irrigation in West Texas(2012-05) Snowden, Michael; Ritchie, Glen L.; Thompson, Thomas L.; Mulligan, KevinThe High Plains Aquifer is the source of nearly all agriculture irrigation water in the Texas High Plains, and its resources are being depleted due to withdrawals that greatly exceed recharge. Decreasing water availability has led to research on water use requirements of most agronomic crops, including yield and quality impacts of deficit irrigation. Some drought-tolerant crops such as cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), can adapt well to deficit irrigation. The objectives of this study were to i) evaluate the water use efficiency and boll distribution patterns of cotton cultivars at varying levels of sub-surface drip irrigation from severe-deficit to fully irrigated, ii) compare growth and yield characteristics between cultivars at varying irrigation levels, and iii) determine yield stability under deficit irrigation in West Texas. Yield, water use efficiency and boll distribution were compared during 2010 and 2011 for cultivars DP 0912, DP 0924, DP 0935, DP 1028, DP 1032, DP 1044, and FM 9160. In 2010, FM 9160, DP 1044, and DP 0912 had the three highest average yields and water use efficiencies. DP1044 and FM9160 performed very well under deficit irrigation. In 2011 cultivar DP1044 again was a top performer along with DP0935 and DP0924. Average yield ranges of 1077 to 1256 kg ha-1for 2010 and 958 to 1074 kg ha-1 for 2011 were common to those produced in West Texas. Water use efficiency was also common for West Texas with ranges of 0.23 to 0.27 for 2010 and 0.17 to 0.19 kg m-3 for 2011. Boll distribution patterns varied significantly between cultivars and within irrigation treatments. Three cultivars (DP1044, FM 9160 and DP 0935) increased fruit production near the top of the plants in response to irrigation, and also had good yield and yield stability; their yield patterns may be favorable for limited water conditions in the Texas High Plains.