Morphological and physiological responses of Calobota sericea plants subjected to water limitation and subsequent rewatering

Abstract

Calobota sericea is a native legume of South Africa, confined to the water-limited rangelands, and it has recently been prioritised for additional characterisation regarding its pasture potential. In this study, we examined the growth characteristics of C. sericea under glasshouse conditions where water limitation was implemented at different plant ages, and for different durations. Results indicate that preferential resource allocation to the roots, as well as reduced stomatal conductance and transpiration, were early responses to water limitation, irrespective of the age at which water limitation was imposed, or the duration of water limitation. Under water-limited conditions, increased production of protective pigments, such as carotenoids and anthocyanins, was also observed, which helped in recovery after rewatering. It was concluded that after rewatering, all negative impacts of water limitation on morphology and physiology of C. sericea plants were generally returned to well-watered levels. This suggests that C. sericea plants employ a wide range of phenotypic adjustments in response to water limitation, which makes the plants well adapted to areas with high rainfall variability.