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ARS Home » Plains Area » Temple, Texas » Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #424287
Research Project: Enhancing Cropping System and Grassland Sustainability in the Texas Gulf Coast Region by Managing Systems for Productivity and Resilience

Location: Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory

Title: Grass productivity quantified through radiation use efficiency: A review

Author
item Kiniry, James
item Schantz, Merilynn
item MEKI, M - Texas A&M Agrilife

Submitted to: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/22/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Grasses are a major portion of plant communities, both in natural conditions and in agricultural settings. Realistic and useful means of expressing their productivity are of great value. While leaf carbon exchange, growth curves, and biomass productivity are useful, in this paper we describe a different and useful approach: radiation use efficiency (RUE) or the amount of biomass produced per unit solar radiation intercepted by the leaf canopy.

Technical Abstract: Grasses are a major portion of plant communities, both in natural conditions and in agricultural settings. Realistic and useful means of expressing their productivity are of great value. While leaf carbon exchange, growth curves, and biomass productivity are useful, in this paper we describe a different and useful approach: radiation use efficiency (RUE) or the amount of biomass produced per unit solar radiation intercepted by the leaf canopy.