Leaf senescence in forage and turf grass: progress and prospects
Kangning Zhang, Hongli Xie, Jiangqi Wen, Jing Zhang, Zeng‐Yu Wang, Bin Xu, Maofeng Chai
Abstract
Leaf senescence is a complex biological process regulated by development, phytohormones, and various environmental factors. For forage and turf grasses, controlling leaf senescence can greatly improve forage quality, the amenity of lawn and turf, and the grasses’ stress tolerances. Leaf senescence involves a multitude of gene regulation and metabolic changes, including the alteration of chlorophyll metabolism. Here, we summarized the recent progress of studies on leaf senescence in major forage and turf grass species, such as <italic>Medicago truncatula</italic>, <italic>M. sativa</italic>, <italic>Lolium perenne</italic>, <italic>Panicum virgatum</italic>, and <italic>Agrostis stolonifera</italic>, to provide an insight into the development of effective methods for delaying leaf senescence in grass species.