Water Stress in Plants

Drought, shortage of available water or stress due to water deficit in the environment is one of the main inconveniences that living beings may have to face. Knowing the physiological effect that drought has on the plant is essential for a good development of the grass or crop. In arid or semi-arid climates, lack of water is the main factor limiting growth in both C3 and C4 plants.

The amount of water contained in the plant is the result of the internal balance between the water absorbed by the roots and the water lost through the roots. perspiration. Most of the absorbed water is transported to the leaves and lost through transpiration, only 1-3% is passed on to plant metabolism. (Jack Fry and Bingru Huang, Applied turfgrass science and physiology, 2004).
Water stress affects most of the plant's vital functions, so that there is practically no physiological process that is not affected by it. (Huang and Gao, 1999) The most significant physiological changes are:

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With the POGO portable sensor moisture can be closely monitored, so that any symptoms of water stress can be anticipated.

• Growth reduction. This effect appears much earlier than those promoted through biochemical, physiological and genetic mechanisms. (Hsiao, 1973). The decline in growth is due to a loss of turgor (physical process). As the water content of the plant decreases, so does the water content of the cells themselves, so the cell volume and turgor of the cell decreases. The cell wall becomes inflexible, thus limiting growth and development.
• Closure of leaf stomata to prevent water loss. This response is triggered by abscisic acid (ABA), a plant hormone produced mainly in vascular tissues. When the vascular tissue stops receiving water from the roots, it activates ABA in its cytoplasm, which will travel to the leaves, stimulating stomatal closure.
• The photosynthetic activity decreases or stops. Due to the closure of the stomata, gas exchange in the leaves decreases and CO2 uptake becomes impossible. When the photosynthesis the plant stops generating energy, the production of sugars is paused and as a consequence the plant stops its metabolism.

Nutrients and minerals are absorbed by the plant dissolved in water and translocated to the leaves. When the stomata close, water uptake slows down and may even stop. Lack of minerals in the leaves can cause chlorosis due among other things to the degradation of chlorophyll in the leaves.

Both POGO as TDR are perfect to measure soil moisture and play with water stress. Do you want to know more about these tools? Ask us at info@tiloom.com