Anaerobic Respiration

A metabolic process that occurs in plants in the absence of oxygen. Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm because it does not require any organelles for the process to occur. It produces pyruvic acid and only small amounts of energy in the form of ATP molecules. This is further broken down (via the fermentation process) to ethanol and carbon dioxide. Anaerobic respiration is a lot less efficient in the production of energy molecules (per glucose molecule) than aerobic respiration, just 2 molecules of ATP are produced compared with 38 molecules in aerobic respiration.

Waterlogged soils will create conditions where anaerobic respiration takes place. This process does, however, enable plants to survive under these stressful environmental conditions, although it is something which is not desirable in the long term and certainly not where a sports turf surface is wanting to be produced. A weaker, more open sward will arise from waterlogged conditions resulting in poor sward quality. A toxic build-up of ethanol can also occur and this could be detrimental for plant longevity.