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Total Nonstructural Carbohydrate Accumulation in Roots of Annual Lespedeza

Dep. of Agronomy, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211

Paul R. Beuselinck and Craig A. Roberts

USDA-ARS, Plant Genetics Res. Unit, Columbia, MO 65211
Dep. of Agronomy, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211

^* Corresponding author (Email: agronrlm{at}mizzoul.missouri.edu).

Total nonstructural carbohydrates( TNC) stored in roots are thought to be an important energy source for growth following herbage removal in many forage legumes. This study was conducted to determine if root TNC levels fluctuate during harvest and regrowth cycles of annual lespedeza (Kummerowia spp.). Annual lespedeza management treatments consisted of harvesting at a 6- or 12-cm stubble height at the end of July and a nonharvested control. Seeding-year ‘Nitro’ alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and ‘Norcen’ birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) were included for comparison. Alfalfa was harvested four times at early bloom and birdsfoot trefoil three times at early bloom. Alfalfa exhibited a cyclic pattern of TNC utilization and storage in response to herbage removal and regrowth, respectively. Seedling alfalfa accumulated >150 g kg^–1 TNC in the roots by 10 June, and >450 g kg^–1 by first harvest. Seedling birdsfoot trefoil maintained <70 g kg^–1 TNC in the roots through mid-September and did not exhibit as much TNC cycling as did alfalfa. Annual lespedeza averaged 20 g kg^–1 TNC in the roots prior to harvest and maintained <40 g kg^–1 throughout the growing season. Harvesting annual lespedeza at 6 cm decreased root TNC levels for 5 wk compared with harvesting at 12 cm and the nonharvested controls; however, the total amount of reduction was small. Root TNC levels decreased by 6.1 g kg^–1 with cutting at 6 cm. As annual lespedeza maintains relatively small amounts of root TNC, leaving residual leaf area at harvest may be important for regrowth.

Received for publication November 12, 1993.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R.L. Kallenbach, R.L. McGraw, P.R. Beuselinck, and C.A. Roberts Summer and Autumn Growth of Rhizomatous Birdsfoot Trefoil Crop Sci., January 1, 2001; 41(1): 149 - 156. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]