OPEN TOP CHAMBER: AN INNOVATIVE SCREENING TECHNIQUE FOR TEMPERATURE STRESS TOLERANCE IN FORAGE OAT (AVENA SATIVA)

SEVA NAYAK DHEERAVATHU, PRABHA SINGH, SRINIVASAN RAMAKRISHNAN AND VIJAY KUMAR YADAV
ICAR- Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003 (Uttar Pradesh), India
*(e-mail : sevanayak2005@gmail.com)
(Received : 3 March 2022; Accepted : 30 March 2022)

SUMMARY

Temperature manipulation experiments are effective ways for testing plant responses to future climate conditions, especially for predicting shifts in plant phenological events. There is little available information about the effect of elevated temperature on morpho-physiological parameters and green fodder yield of fodder crops. To identify fodder crops with high green fodder yield suitable for elevated temperature, proper screening technique is needed. Forage oat is an important annual forage cereal crop. It was grown in ambient as well as elevated (>2 oC than ambient) temperatures at vegetative to reproductive stage in open top chambers. Elevated temperature decreased oat plant height. Days to 50% flowering was shortened under elevated temperature compared to ambient condition. Standardized Open Top Chamber facility is more useful for screening number of varieties in oat and other forage crops for temperature stress tolerance and to address the demand of fodder seed production at present and future as well.

Key words: Ambient, elevated temperature, oat, open top chamber

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