Table 2.
Shoot parameters of sorghum and pearl millet after growth in the experimental set-up shown in Fig. 1, with primary (seminal) and nodal roots growing in different soil moisture contents
| Species | Soil treatment | Shoot dry weight (g) per plant | Tiller number per plant | Leaf area (cm2) per plant) | Total water used (g) | Water use efficiency (shoot dry weight per water, g L−1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sorghum | 1. Moist primary/moist nodal | 0·662 | 2·5 | 178 | 198 ± 15 | 3·289 ± 0·25 |
| 2. Moist primary watering withheld/moist nodal watering withheld | 0·600 | 1·0 | 106 | 164 ± 15 | 3·267 ± 0·203 | |
| 3. Moist primary/dry nodal without evaporation | 0·640 | 1·6 | 151 | 178 ± 16 | 3·131 ± 0·271 | |
| 4. Moist primary/dry nodal with evaporation | 0·44 | 0 | 82 | 111 ± 18 | 3·078 ± 0·463 | |
| Millet | 1. Moist primary/moist nodal | 1·234 | 2·8 | 261 | 272 ± 23 | 4·540 ± 0·07 |
| 2. Moist primary watering withheld/moist nodal watering withheld | 1·280 | 2·6 | 217 | 272 ± 26 | 4·331 ± 0·127 | |
| 3. Moist primary/dry nodal without evaporation | 0·935 | 2·8 | 148 | 184 ± 38 | 3·730 ± 0·238 | |
| 4. Moist primary/dry nodal with evaporation | 0·810 | 2 | 135 | 166 ± 9 | 3·943 ± 0·637 | |
| L.S.D. | 0·22 | 0·7 | 61 | NA | NA |
Values are means of five replicate pots per species and treatment. Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P = 0·05.
L.S.D., least significant difference at P = 0·05. Water-related means followed by standard deviation.