Transpiration and biomass production of the bioenergy crop Giant Knotweed Igniscum under various supplies of water and nutrients

• Published in: Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics
• Main Authors: Mantovani Dario, Veste Maik, Gypser Stella, Halke Christian, Koning Laurie, Freese Dirk, Lebzien Stefan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2014
• Subjects: water use efficiency; transpiration coefficient; photosynthesis; nitrogen; ecophysiology; lysimeter; fallopia; Hydraulic engineering; TC1-978; Sakhalin
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2014-0028; https://doaj.org/article/1e3a3458636742c1bd4149296dda35a9

Soil water availability, nutrient supply and climatic conditions are key factors for plant production. For a sustainable integration of bioenergy plants into agricultural systems, detailed studies on their water uses and growth performances are needed. The new bioenergy plant Igniscum Candy is a cultivar of the Sakhalin Knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis), which is characterized by a high annual biomass production. For the determination of transpiration-yield relations at the whole plant level we used wicked lysimeters at multiple irrigation levels associated with the soil water availability (25, 35, 70, 100%) and nitrogen fertilization (0, 50, 100, 150 kg N ha-1). Leaf transpiration and net photosynthesis were determined with a portable minicuvette system. The maximum mean transpiration rate was 10.6 mmol m-2 s-1 for well-watered plants, while the mean net photosynthesis was 9.1 μmol m-2 s-1. The cumulative transpiration of the plants during the growing seasons varied between 49 l (drought stressed) and 141 l (well-watered) per plant. The calculated transpiration coefficient for Fallopia over all of the treatments applied was 485.6 l kg-1. The transpiration-yield relation of Igniscum is comparable to rye and barley. Its growth performance making Fallopia a potentially good second generation bioenergy crop.