<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> <w:UseFELayout /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><! /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} --> <!--[endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The measurement of plant water status such as leaf water potential (LWP) and leaf relative water content (RWC) is important part of understanding plant physiology and biomass production. Preliminary study was made to determine the optimum amount of leaf abrasion and equilibration time of sweet potato leaf inside the thermocouple psychrometer chambers. Based on the trial, the standard equilibration time curve of a Peltier thermocouple for sweet potato leaf was between 2 and 3 hours. To increase the water vapour conductance across the leaf epidermis the waxy leaf cuticle should be removed or broken by abrasion. The result showed that 4 times leaf rubbings was accepted as the most effective way to increase leaf vapour conductance of sweet potato in the psychrometer chambers. In calculating the leaf relative water content, unstressed water of sweet potato leaves require 4 hours imbibition, whereas water stressed of sweet potato leaves require 5 to 6 hours to reach the saturation time. Either leaf water potential or relative water content can be used as a parameter for plant water status in sweet potato.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
Capability of leaf water content and its threshold values in reflection of soil–plant water status in maize during prolonged drought
