Growth limitation of Lemna minor due to high plant density

Samenvatting

The effect of high population densities on the growth rate of Lemna minor (L.) was studied under laboratory conditions at 23°C in a medium with sufficient nutrients. At high population densities, we found a non-linear decreasing growth rate with increasing L. minor density. Above a L. minor biomass of ca. 180 g dry weight (DW) m-2, the net growth rate became negative. At a density of 9 g DW m-2, a maximum relative growth rate of ca. 0.3 d-1 was found. At very low densities (