TY - JOUR

T1 - Stomatal and growth responses to hydraulic and chemical changes induced by progressive soil drying.

AU - Li, Xiaoqing

AU - Wilkinson, Sally

AU - Shen, Jianbo

AU - Forde, Brian Gordon

AU - Davies, William John

N1 - This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication inJournal of Experimental Botany following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Xiaoqing Li, Sally Wilkinson, Jianbo Shen, Brian G Forde, William J Davies; Stomatal and growth responses to hydraulic and chemical changes induced by progressive soil drying, Journal of Experimental Botany, Volume 68, Issue 21-22, 16 December 2017, Pages 5883–5894, https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erx381 is available online at https://academic.oup.com/jxb/article/68/21-22/5883/4596370

PY - 2017/12/16

Y1 - 2017/12/16

N2 - A better understanding of physiological responses of crops to drought stress is important for ensuring sustained crop productivity under climate change. Here we studied the effect on 15 d-old maize (Zea mays L.) plants of a 6-d non-lethal period of soil drying (soil water potential (SWP) decreased from –0.20 to –0.81 MPa). Root growth was initially stimulated during drying (when SWP decreased from –0.31 to –0.38 MPa, c.f. –0.29 MPa in well-watered pots), followed by inhibition during Days 5–6 (SWP from –0.63 to –0.81 MPa). Abscisic acid (ABA) in the root began to accumulate as the root water potential declined during Days 2–3. Leaf elongation was inhibited from Day 4 (SWP < –0.51 MPa), just after leaf ABA content began to increase, but coinciding with a decline in leaf water potential. The stomatal conductance was restricted earlier in the younger leaf (4th) (on Day 3) than in the older leaf (3rd). The ethylene content of leaves and roots decreased during drying, but after the respective increase in ABA contents. This work identified critical timing of hydraulic and chemical changes at the onset of soil drying, which can be important in initiating early stomatal and growth responses to drought.

AB - A better understanding of physiological responses of crops to drought stress is important for ensuring sustained crop productivity under climate change. Here we studied the effect on 15 d-old maize (Zea mays L.) plants of a 6-d non-lethal period of soil drying (soil water potential (SWP) decreased from –0.20 to –0.81 MPa). Root growth was initially stimulated during drying (when SWP decreased from –0.31 to –0.38 MPa, c.f. –0.29 MPa in well-watered pots), followed by inhibition during Days 5–6 (SWP from –0.63 to –0.81 MPa). Abscisic acid (ABA) in the root began to accumulate as the root water potential declined during Days 2–3. Leaf elongation was inhibited from Day 4 (SWP < –0.51 MPa), just after leaf ABA content began to increase, but coinciding with a decline in leaf water potential. The stomatal conductance was restricted earlier in the younger leaf (4th) (on Day 3) than in the older leaf (3rd). The ethylene content of leaves and roots decreased during drying, but after the respective increase in ABA contents. This work identified critical timing of hydraulic and chemical changes at the onset of soil drying, which can be important in initiating early stomatal and growth responses to drought.

KW - Abscisic acid (ABA)

KW - drought

KW - ethylene

KW - hormone

KW - maize

KW - physiological responses

KW - root

KW - shoot

U2 - 10.1093/jxb/erx381

DO - 10.1093/jxb/erx381

M3 - Journal article

VL - 68

SP - 5883

EP - 5894

JO - Journal of Experimental Botany

JF - Journal of Experimental Botany

SN - 0022-0957

IS - 21-22

ER -