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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Plant Stress and Germplasm Development Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #213723
Title: Acclimation to late season water-deficit stress through exposure to early season deficit irrigation

Author
item Payton, Paxton
item Faircloth, Wilson
item TISSUE, DAVID - TTU
item Rowland, Diane

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/27/2007
Publication Date: 9/28/2008
Citation: Payton, P.R., Faircloth, W.H., Tissue, D., Rowland, D. 2008. Acclimation to late season water-deficit stress through exposure to early season deficit irrigation[abstract]. EcoFizz 2007-Australian & New Zealand Society of Plant Physiologists & Exophysiologists. Sydney, Austrailia. September 27-28, 2007.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Particularly in the Ogallala Region of Texas and New Mexico, efficient production relies upon the peanut crop’s ability to yield under decreased water availability. The dry climate (approximately 450 mm rainfall per annum) necessitates high expenditures on irrigation, and rapid depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer is already limiting crop production. It is estimated that at the current rate of agricultural and urban use of water, the High Plains Aquifer extending from South Dakota through West Texas could be depleted within 30 to 40 years. Based on our field results in West Texas, early season drought appeared to increase harvest maturity levels over other water deficit treatments, while maintaining yield. This indicates that early season drought may acclimate the crop to drought stress and possibly allow for decreased irrigation levels in an effort to conserve water. Given these results, we hypothesize that timing and duration of exposure to water-deficit, relative to plant developmental stage has a significant impact on peanut yield and quality. To investigate the possible physiological mechanisms impacting this response, we followed leaf gas-exchange physiology during the slow onset of water deficit stress. We will report our findings on the association of physiological traits and stress acclimation with respect to yield and maturity in peanut.