Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an important forage crop with significant economic value. Alternating partial root-zone irrigation (APRI) is a promising water-saving technique that has been shown to improve water use efficiency in various crops. In this study, the effects of APRI on root water uptake, photosynthetic indices, and physiological responses in alfalfa were investigated. Polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) was used to simulate water stress, and four irrigation treatments were established: conventional irrigation (CI), deficit irrigation (DI), fixed partial root-zone irrigation (FPRI), and APRI. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that APRI reduced stomatal conductance (Gs) by 19.82% and transpiration rate (E) by 19.16%, which was associated with increased abscisic acid (ABA) content, thereby enhancing instantaneous water use efficiency (iWUE) by 47.93%. Meanwhile, APRI promoted root growth, leading to a 14.09% increase in root–shoot ratio, which in turn enhanced the photosynthetic rate by 22.06%. APRI enhanced methyl jasmonate (MeJA) content in alfalfa leaves by 45.23%, which was associated with a 24.13% improvement in water absorption capacity. In conclusion, APRI induced positive physiological responses in alfalfa, with the effectiveness ranked as follows: APRI > CI > FPRI > DI. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the rational application of APRI in alfalfa forage production.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
APRI reduced alfalfa stomatal conductance by 19.82%.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativat0 - Treatment
- APRIe0
- Outcome
- stomatal conductance (Gs)e0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 19.82%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“APRI reduced stomatal conductance (Gs) by 19.82% and transpiration rate (E) by 19.16%”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
APRI reduced alfalfa transpiration rate by 19.16%.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- APRIe0
- Outcome
- transpiration rate (E)e0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 19.16%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“APRI reduced stomatal conductance (Gs) by 19.82% and transpiration rate (E) by 19.16%”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
APRI increased alfalfa abscisic acid content.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- APRIe1
- Outcome
- abscisic acid (ABA) contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“which was associated with increased abscisic acid (ABA) content”
t0“Alfalfa”
e1“APRI reduced stomatal conductance (Gs) by 19.82% and transpiration rate (E) by 19.16%”
Claim · model-written summary
APRI enhanced instantaneous water use efficiency by 47.93%.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- APRIe1
- Outcome
- instantaneous water use efficiency (iWUE)e0
- Direction
- enhancinge0
- Value
- 47.93%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“thereby enhancing instantaneous water use efficiency (iWUE) by 47.93%”
t0“Alfalfa”
e1“APRI reduced stomatal conductance (Gs) by 19.82% and transpiration rate (E) by 19.16%”
Claim · model-written summary
APRI promoted alfalfa root growth.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- APRIe0
- Outcome
- root growthe0
- Direction
- promotede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“APRI promoted root growth”
t0“Alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
APRI increased alfalfa root–shoot ratio by 14.09%.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- APRIe1
- Outcome
- root–shoot ratioe0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 14.09%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a 14.09% increase in root–shoot ratio”
t0“Alfalfa”
e1“APRI reduced stomatal conductance (Gs) by 19.82% and transpiration rate (E) by 19.16%”
Claim · model-written summary
APRI enhanced alfalfa photosynthetic rate by 22.06%.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- APRIe1
- Outcome
- photosynthetic ratee0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 22.06%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“enhanced the photosynthetic rate by 22.06%”
t0“Alfalfa”
e1“APRI reduced stomatal conductance (Gs) by 19.82% and transpiration rate (E) by 19.16%”
Claim · model-written summary
APRI enhanced alfalfa leaf methyl jasmonate content by 45.23%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- APRIe0
- Outcome
- methyl jasmonate (MeJA) contente0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 45.23%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“APRI enhanced methyl jasmonate (MeJA) content in alfalfa leaves by 45.23%”
Claim · model-written summary
APRI was associated with a 24.13% improvement in alfalfa water absorption capacity.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- APRIe1
- Outcome
- water absorption capacitye0
- Direction
- improvemente0
- Value
- 24.13%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“which was associated with a 24.13% improvement in water absorption capacity”
t0“Alfalfa”
e1“APRI reduced stomatal conductance (Gs) by 19.82% and transpiration rate (E) by 19.16%”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation treatment effectiveness ranked APRI above CI, FPRI and DI.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- effectivenesse0
- Direction
- APRI > CI > FPRI > DIe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the effectiveness ranked as follows: APRI > CI > FPRI > DI”
t0“Alfalfa”
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