Climate change and the associated periods of drought are posing ever greater challenges for agriculture worldwide. Due to these dry periods, it will become increasingly important in the future to use drought-tolerant species and varieties in permanent grassland mixtures.
An experiment is currently underway in the polytunnel at the HBLFA Raumberg Gumpenstein research institute, investigating the drought tolerance of five orchardgrass varieties from different European regions. The plants are cultivated in Mitscherlich containers and exposed to varying degrees of drought stress. The results are intended to provide information on both drought tolerance and water use efficiency. In addition to yield measurements, spectral measurements are being conducted.
