Carbohydrate Reserves of Intermediate Wheatgrass after Clipping and Etiolation Treatments

Abstract

The total water-soluble carbohydrate (TWSC) fraction of intermediate wheatgrass stem bases and roots is depleted with etiolation and is a good measure of the reserve energy of this species. When the TWSC fraction was depleted to about 1% dry weight, vigor of the grass was too poor to recover from a clipping treatment. Root weight was also reduced with etiolation. Late September to early November was a period of active herbage and root growth for intermediate wheatgrass. Growth during this fall period enabled grasses which had been clipped three times at 6-week intervals during the summer to recover to very nearly the level of TWSC and root weight as the check plants.