Emerging effects of selected rhizosphere properties on transpiration and leaf water potential of two Zea mays L. genotypes in semi-arid environments

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Köhler ◽  
Daniel-Sebastian Moser ◽  
Ákos Botezatu ◽  
Jana Kholova ◽  
Andrea Carminati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zea Mays ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Leaf Water Potential ◽  
Zea Mays L ◽  
Root Hairs ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Soil Drying ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Stomatal Regulation ◽  
Semi Arid

<p>Understanding the mechanisms that control water use of plants exposed to soil drying and increasing vapour pressure deficit (VPD) has important implications for crop growth in semi-arid regions with low-input agriculture. In particular, the effect of belowground processes on transpiration and stomatal regulation remains controversial. Objective of this study was to understand the role of soil properties and root hairs (as an example of rhizosphere traits) on transpiration and leaf water potential. We hypothesize that root hairs facilitate the water extraction from drying soils, particularly at high VPD, and that this impacts the relation between transpiration rate and leaf water potential. We further hypothesize that stomatal regulation attenuates the drop in leaf water potential when the soil water flow cannot match the transpiration demand and thus emphasizes the importance of root hairs on transpiration rates during soil drying.</p><p>We compared maize (Zea mays L.) with (wild-type) and without (mutant) root hairs in three different soil substrates (Alfisol, Vertisol and Sandy Soil). Transpiration and leaf water potential were monitored at varying VPD and soil moistures during soil drying. The hairless mutant showed a higher transpiration in wet soils but declined transpiration at greater water contents as compared to the wild-type. Under well-watered conditions, both genotypes had the highest transpiration rates in Vertisol. In Vertisol, both genotypes closed their stomata at relatively higher water content levels. The relation between transpiration and soil moisture strongly varied between soils. No obvious differences between the genotypes were visible in the relationship between leaf water potential and transpiration. This is explained by the prompt closure of stomata. This study provides experimental evidence of the strong link between stomatal regulation and soil-root hydraulic properties.</p>

NET CO2 EXCHANGE RATE AS A SENSITIVE INDICATOR OF PLANT WATER STATUS IN CORN (Zea mays L.)

1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. CEULEMANS ◽  
I. IMPENS ◽  
M. C. LAKER ◽  
F. M. G. VAN ASSCHE ◽  
R. MOTTRAM
Keyword(s):  
Zea Mays ◽  
Exchange Rate ◽  
Water Stress ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Leaf Water Potential ◽  
Zea Mays L ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Water Capacity ◽  
Available Water Capacity

With the objective to evaluate and compare different physiological plant parameters as indicators of water stress, net CO2 exchange rate (NCER), leaf temperature, predawn and daytime leaf water potential were monitored diurnally on last fully expanded leaves of corn (Zea mays L.) plants under two different soil water treatments (stressed and nonstressed) during a 10-d period at anthesis in a semi-arid region in South Africa. Profile available water capacity (PAWC) was used to express the soil water contents during the experiments. A significant decrease in NCER was noticed as soon as 30% of PAWC was extracted, i.e. 2 or 3 d after irrigation. Although the results were limited to a short, well-defined measuring period, NCER, and especially NCER at noon, seemed to be a more sensitive and more reliable indicator of corn water stress than, for example, predawn or daytime leaf water potential, at least under the conditions studied here. This reduction in NCER might have a significant impact on total biomass, rooting density, flower and ear formation.Key words: Corn, irrigation scheduling, photosynthesis, leaf water potential, profile available water capacity, soil water content

The effect of root hairs under drought in open field conditions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Marin ◽  
Deborah S Feeney ◽  
Lawrie K Brown ◽  
Muhammad Naveed ◽  
Siul Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Potential ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Open Field ◽  
Leaf Water Potential ◽  
Root Hair ◽  
Root Hairs ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Clay Loam ◽  
Wild Type

<p>Root hairs represent an attractive target for future crop breeding, to improve resource use efficiency and stress tolerance. Most studies investigating root hairs have focused on plant tolerance to phosphorus deficiency and rhizosheath formation under controlled conditions. However, data on the interplay between root hairs and open-field systems, under contrasting soils and climate conditions, are limited. Although root hairs and rhizosphere are assumed to play a key role in regulating plant water relations, their effect on plant water uptake has been rarely investigated. As such, this study aimed to experimentally elucidate some of the impacts that root hairs have on plant performance under field conditions and water deficit. A field experiment was set up in Scotland for two consecutive years, in 2017 (a typical year) and 2018 (the driest growing season ever recorded at this site), under different soil textures (i.e., clay loam vs. sandy loam). Five barley (Hordeum vulgare) genotypes exhibiting variation in root hair length and density were used in the study. Measurements of root hair density, length and its correlation with rhizosheath weight highlighted trait robustness in the field under variable environmental conditions. Root hairs did not confer a notable advantage to barley under optimal conditions, but under soil water deficit root hairs enhanced plant water status and stress tolerance. This resulted in less negative leaf water potential and lower leaf abscisic acid concentration, while promoting shoot phosphorus accumulation. Specifically, minimum leaf water potential differed significantly (P = 0.021) between the wild type (-1.43 MPa) and its hairless mutant (-1.76 MPa) grown in clay loam, with the mutant exhibiting greater water stress. In agreement with leaf water potential measurements, at the peak of water stress, leaf abscisic acid concentration was significantly (P = 0.023) greater for the hairless mutant (394 ng g<sup>-1</sup>) than the wild type (250 ng g<sup>-1</sup>) grown in clay loam soil. Under water deficit conditions, in clay loam soil, shoot phosphorus accumulation in the wild type (2.49 mg P shoot<sup>-1</sup>) was over twice that in the hairless mutant (1.10 mg P shoot<sup>-1</sup>). Furthermore, the presence of root hairs did not decrease yield under optimal conditions, while root hairs enhanced yield stability under drought. While yield of the hairless mutant significantly (P = 0.012) decreased from 2017 to 2018 in both clay (-26%) and sandy (-33%) loam soils, no significant differences were found between years in the yield of the wild type. Therefore, selecting for beneficial root hair traits can enhance yield stability without diminishing yield potential, overcoming the breeder’s dilemma of trying to simultaneously enhance both productivity and resilience. To our knowledge, the present findings provide the first evidence of the effect of root hairs under drought in open field conditions (i.e., real agricultural system). Therefore, along with the well-recognized role for P uptake, maintenance or enhancement of root hairs can represent a key trait for breeding the next generation of crops for improved drought tolerance in relation to climate change.</p>

INDICATORS OF WATER STRESS IN CORN (Zea mays L.)

1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. DWYER ◽  
D. W. STEWART
Keyword(s):  
Zea Mays ◽  
Water Stress ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Leaf Water Potential ◽  
Zea Mays L ◽  
Stomatal Resistance ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Predawn Leaf Water Potential ◽  
Diurnal Patterns ◽  
Potential Transpiration

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to monitor the response of corn (Zea mays L.) to water stress conditions during and following tasselling, and to compare several indicators of water stress. Daily measurements of soil water content and of evaporative demand were made. The degree of plant water stress was indicated by estimates of minimum daily stomatal resistance, comparison of estimated actual and potential transpiration rates, diurnal patterns of leaf water potential and predawn leaf water potentials taken on lower leaves. Analysis of the series of measurements necessary to estimate minimum daily stomatal resistance, actual to potential transpiration rate ratios, and diurnal patterns of leaf water potential identified periods of relative water stress. The simpler and less time-consuming measurement of predawn leaf water potential compared favorably with these other indicators of water stress. We therefore suggest that predawn leaf water potential is an appropriate diagnostic measurement of water stress with promise for irrigation scheduling, particularly for crops in which irrigation is important for a short but critical period.Key words: Leaf water potential, stomatal resistance, transpiration, vapor pressure deficit, soil water deficit

Relationship Between Root/Soil Hydraulic Properties and Stomatal Behaviour in Sugarcane

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 241 ◽  
Author(s):  
NZ Saliendra ◽  
FC Meinzer
Keyword(s):  
Stomatal Conductance ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Leaf Water Potential ◽  
Water Status ◽  
Hydraulic Conductance ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Soil Drying ◽  
Root Hydraulic Conductance ◽  
High Soil Moisture

Stomatal conductance, leaf and soil water status, transpiration, and apparent root hydraulic conductance were measured during soil drying cycles for three sugarcane cultivars growing in containers in a greenhouse. At high soil moisture, transpiration and apparent root hydraulic conductance differed considerably among cultivars and were positively correlated, whereas leaf water potential was similar among cultivars. In drying soil, stomatal and apparent root hydraulic conductance approached zero over a narrow (0.1 MPa) range of soil water suction. Leaf water potential remained nearly constant during soil drying because the vapor phase conductance of the leaves and the apparent liquid phase conductance of the root system declined in parallel. The decline in apparent root hydraulic conductance with soil drying was manifested as a large increase in the hydrostatic pressure gradient between the soil and the root xylem. These results suggested that control of stomatal conductance in sugarcane plants exposed to drying soil was exerted primarily at the root rather than at the leaf level.

The recovery of leaf water potential following burning of two droughted tropical pasture species

1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (92) ◽  
pp. 423 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Stomatal Conductance ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Leaf Water Potential ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Tropical Pasture ◽  
Native Pastures ◽  
Leaf Extension ◽  
Semi Arid

Following burning (day 0) of a water-stressed sward of green panic and siratro, measurements were made both on unburned plants and on regrowth of burned plants of leaf water potential (�s) and stomatal conductance (gs) at 1.00 p.m. and of leaf extension. In the unburned plants �s, remained low (-23 to -45 bar for green panic, and -14 to -18 bar for siratro), the stomata were closed and no growth occurred. In the burned plants of both species, however, �s on day 12 was -9 to -11 bars, the stomata were open and growth occurred, presumably because the complete defoliation allowed the plants to make use of a limited store of soil water at higher water potential. In green panic �s fell rapidly, and growth stopped after day 19, but �s and g, in siratro were still high on day 28. Burning of droughted native pastures is a common management practice in the semi-arid tropics of Australia. The data may explain how the pastures are able to make the new growth that frequently occurs.

Water Relations in Cowpea and Pearl Millet Under Soil Water Deficits. III. Extent of Predawn Equilibrium in Leaf Water Potential

1992 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 601 ◽  
Author(s):  
CL Petrie ◽  
AE Hall
Keyword(s):  
Water Potential ◽  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Leaf Water Potential ◽  
Leaf Surface ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Soil Drying ◽  
Mannitol Solution ◽  
Water Potentials ◽  
Approximate Equilibrium ◽  
Significant Difference

Pearl millet [Penniseturn americanum (L.) Leeke] consistently develops lower predawn leaf water potentials than cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] when plants are subjected to progressive soil drying, even when they are grown as intercrops in the same pot. Lack of equilibrium in water potential during the predawn, within the plants and between plants and soil, was studied as a possible explanation for this difference. Experiments were conducted in a glasshouse in pots containing an artificial rooting medium which had a high water-holding capacity and was easy to separate from roots. Leaf and root predawn xylem water potentials were measured with a pressure chamber. In cowpea, leaf water potential (ΨL) values during the dry treatment were similar to values of root water potential (ΨR), indicating an approximate equilibrium within the plants. In millet, measurements were made on plants grown in both large and small pots. With large pots, ΨL and ΨR values in millet were similar, but with small pots, predawn ΨL was lower than ΨR. When the surfaces of these small pots were covered with evaporation barriers, however, no significant differences developed between ΨL and ΨR at predawn during soil drying, indicating an approximate equilibrium within millet. During the early stages of the dry treatment, leaf surface conductances measured at predawn indicated that significant water flux occurred at night from the leaves of both cowpea and millet. Leaf surface conductances declined to negligible levels as the dry treatment progressed, however, and night-time fluxes of water from leaves cannot explain the significant difference in predawn ΨL that developed between cowpea and millet. In order to determine whether the lower predawn ΨL in millet was due to a resistance to water uptake at the root surface, an osmoticum (- 0.5 MPa mannitol solution) was applied to pots of cowpea and millet intercrops after substantial differences in predawn ΨL had developed, and ΨL was measured. Measurements taken 9 h later indicated that predawn ΨL had recovered in millet, and the values of ΨL in millet and cowpea after mannitol treatment were similar to the osmotic potential of the mannitol solution. These results suggest that the lower predawn ΨL in millet than in cowpea under drought is due to the development of a substantial soil resistance to water movement to the root surfaces of millet.

scholarly journals DIFFUSIVE RESISTANCE, TRANSPIRATION, AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN SINGLE LEAVES OF CORN AND SORGHUM IN RELATION TO LEAF WATER POTENTIAL

1973 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. BEADLE ◽  
K. R. STEVENSON ◽  
H. H. NEUMANN ◽  
G. W. THURTELL ◽  
K. M. KING
Keyword(s):  
Water Potential ◽  
Leaf Water Potential ◽  
Zea Mays L ◽  
Narrow Range ◽  
Light Flux ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Diffusive Resistance ◽  
Chamber Studies ◽  
Growth Chamber Studies ◽  
Mesophyll Resistance

Growth chamber studies were conducted to determine the relationships between leaf water potential and diffusive resistance, transpiration rate, and photosynthesis in corn (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum vulgare L.). Few differences were apparent between species in response to leaf water potentials above −8 to −6 bars at all light flux densities used. At lower potentials their ability to withstand water stress differed. Rapid increases in both total resistance to water vapor and mesophyll resistance to carbon dioxide within a narrow range of water potential were observed in corn with simultaneous decreases in transpiration and photosynthesis. More gradual changes occurred in sorghum, with little increase in mesophyll resistance except at the highest light flux density. Photosynthetic rate of sorghum was still 25% of maximum at −11.5 bars whereas corn was severely wilted and photosynthesis had ceased at a similar water potential.

Effects of No-tillage and Ploughing on Efficiency of Water Use in Maize and Cowpea

1978 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Lal ◽  
P. R. Maurya ◽  
S. Osei-Yeboah
Keyword(s):  
Zea Mays ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Leaf Water Potential ◽  
Vigna Unguiculata ◽  
Sprinkler System ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Use Efficiency

SUMMARYWater use efficiency of maize (Zea mays) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) was investigated, with and without tillage, under four irrigation frequencies in which 12 mm of water was applied at 2, 4, 8 and 12 day intervals, using a sprinkler system. Both maize and cowpea under no-tillage yielded more than with conventional ploughing. Water use efficiency of maize without tillage was 18·3, 17·5, 57·8 and 100% greater than with tillage at irrigation frequencies of 2, 4, 8 and 12 days respectively. Whereas the leaf water potential of cowpea was not affected by tillage, that of maize was generally higher for no-tillage compared with conventional ploughing.

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