DefinePK

Abstract

ABSTRACT A description of shoot and root morphology is essential for understanding the seedling establishment process of dominant forage grasses found on arid and semiarid rangelands in Baluchistan. A controlled environment study was conducted to determine differences in leave and tiller development and root development between seedlings of Chrysopogon aucheri (Boiss.) staph, and Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Jones) Schult, at 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after emergence. Chrysopogon aucheri seedlings generally had greater, but not significantly greater, tiller and leaf development and shoot biomass than Cymbopogon jwarancusa seedlings. Chrysopogon aucheri seedlings had greater total numbers, total lengths, and biomass of primary, seminal, and adventitious roots than Cymbopogon jwarancusa seedlings. Both species showed evidence of sub-coleoptile internode elongation and sub-coleoptile internode root development characteristic of panicoid-type seedlings. The different types of grass seedling morphology are discussed in relation to seedling establishment on arid and semiarid rangelands.