Does Increased Leaf Appearance Rate Enhance Adaptation to Postanthesis Drought Stress in Sorghum

Increased leaf appearance rate (LAR) could reduce preanthesis water use of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] by restricting plant size via reduced tillering. The aim of this paper was to assess LAR as a potential pathway for adaptation to postanthesis drought stress. Four hybrids with different LAR were grown in four semicontrolled experiments under well-watered conditions or postanthesis drought stress and in two irrigated field experiments. Observations included leaf area dynamics, transpiration, transpiration efficiency (TE), leaf N, biomass, and grain yield. ATx642 hybrids (0.0306 leaf °C d−1) had significantly greater LAR than AQL39 hybrids (0.0279 leaf °C d−1) and this increased early main shoot vigor. Under low plant density, this reduced tiller number and hence leaf area and biomass around anthesis. As hybrids had similar TE and differed little in phenology, this can reduce preanthesis water use. Water availability at flag leaf determined grain number per plant (adjusted R2 = 0.80, p < 0.01) and hence grain yield. However, the effect of increased LAR on reduced plant size was temperature dependent. Under high temperature, genotypic differences in tillering were reduced and main shoot leaf number increased more in hybrids with greater LAR. This increased responsiveness of leaf number could increase plant size and water use at anthesis. Hence, greater LAR may confer drought adaptation only in specific environments unless it is also associated with critical aspects of biomass partitioning.