Abstract
We evaluated the productivity, wet endurance and adaptability to waterlogging of tropical forage legume, Aeschynomene americana cv. Glenn. Glenn was grown in pot under constant temperature of 25℃ and imposed four different durations of waterlogging i.e. 0 (no waterlogging as control), 10, 20 and 30 days. The treatment was started on the 14th day after germination. At the end of respective periods of waterlogging, pots were drained and thereafter held on the same condition as control until the 40th day after the start of treatment. Plants were collected at the start of treatment (0), 10, 20, 30 and 40 th day and measurements of dry matter yield, nitrogen fixation activity and nitrogen content of plants were conducted. Total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) contents of plants on the 40th day were also determined. Plant growth showed a small decrease with 10 days of waterlogging treatment, but increased with longer waterlogging treatments comparing with control. Drainage following waterlogging increased plant growth. Results of growth analysis revealed that net assimilation rates (NAR) in all waterlogging treatments were higher than those in control. Under waterlogging condition, enhanced rooting and nodule formation on basal stem were observed. Nitrogen fixation activity, nodule number and nodule dry weight in all waterlogging treatments were higher than those in control during the experiment. Nitrogen contents and TNC contents in plants under all waterlogging treatments were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those in control.
