Abstract - The leaf ontogeny of potted maize plants subjected to severe water stress was carried out in a greenhouse. The water stress cycle started at the onset of the vegetative stage (five-leaf stage). Control and water-stressed plants received 100 and 50 % of the water evapotranspired, respectively. After 30 days half of the water-stressed plants were fully irrigated to control levels. Water stress lowered osmotic potentials of all leaves along the plant profile as well as their chlorophyll concentration and photosynthetic rate. Leaf area of stressed plants was reduced, while leaf nitrogen concentration was higher than in control plants at the end of the vegetative stage. After re-watering, recovered plants increased their leaf photosynthetic rate and leaf turgor, although they remained lower than in control plants. At the end of the vegetative stage, leaf nitrogen concentration of re-watered plants was similar to that of the stressed plants, while leaf growth was not resumed though relative death rate was slowed to that of the control treatment. This suggests that severe water-stressed plants, when fully re-irrigated, were able to re-establish good physiological processes although at a level lower than in the control, because chlorophyll concentration was not fully recovered.

Foliar senescence in maize plants grown under different water regimes

ALVINO, Arturo
;
DELFINE, Sebastiano;
1999-01-01

Abstract

Abstract - The leaf ontogeny of potted maize plants subjected to severe water stress was carried out in a greenhouse. The water stress cycle started at the onset of the vegetative stage (five-leaf stage). Control and water-stressed plants received 100 and 50 % of the water evapotranspired, respectively. After 30 days half of the water-stressed plants were fully irrigated to control levels. Water stress lowered osmotic potentials of all leaves along the plant profile as well as their chlorophyll concentration and photosynthetic rate. Leaf area of stressed plants was reduced, while leaf nitrogen concentration was higher than in control plants at the end of the vegetative stage. After re-watering, recovered plants increased their leaf photosynthetic rate and leaf turgor, although they remained lower than in control plants. At the end of the vegetative stage, leaf nitrogen concentration of re-watered plants was similar to that of the stressed plants, while leaf growth was not resumed though relative death rate was slowed to that of the control treatment. This suggests that severe water-stressed plants, when fully re-irrigated, were able to re-establish good physiological processes although at a level lower than in the control, because chlorophyll concentration was not fully recovered.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11695/1468
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