Wind speed affects the rate and kinetics of stomatal conductance.

Understanding the relationship between wind speed and gas exchange in plants is a longstanding challenge. Our aim was to investigate the impact of wind speed on maximum rates of gas exchange and the kinetics of stomatal responses. We conducted experiments in different angiosperm and fern species using an infrared gas analyzer equipped with a controlled leaf fan, enabling precise control of the boundary layer conductance.

Induction of stomatal opening following a night-chilling event alleviates physiological damage in mango trees.

Chilling events have become more frequent with climate change and are a significant abiotic factor causing physiological damage to plants and, consequently, reducing crop yield. Like other tropical and subtropical plants, mango (Mangifera indica L.) is particularly sensitive to chilling events, especially if they are followed by bright sunny days.

A role for ethylene signaling and biosynthesis in regulating and accelerating CO - and abscisic acid-mediated stomatal movements in Arabidopsis.

Little is known about long-distance mesophyll-driven signals that regulate stomatal conductance. Soluble and/or vapor-phase molecules have been proposed. In this study, the involvement of the gaseous signal ethylene in the modulation of stomatal conductance in Arabidopsis thaliana by CO /abscisic acid (ABA) was examined.

Physiological characterization of the wild almond stem photosynthetic capability.

Leaves are the major plant tissue for transpiration and carbon fixation in deciduous trees. In harsh habitats, atmospheric CO assimilation stem photosynthesis is common, providing extra carbon gain to cope with the detrimental conditions. We studied two almond species, the commercial cultivar "Um-el-Fahem" and the rare wild .

Physiological Characterization of Young 'Hass' Avocado Plant Leaves Following Exposure to High Temperatures and Low Light Intensity.

The worldwide demand for avocados has resulted in the planting of millions of young plants each year. However, global warming, resulting in high temperatures, sensed as heat stress, may severely damage these new plantings. The objective of this study was to assess the risks of heat stress on young avocado plants.

The effect of blue light on stomatal oscillations and leaf turgor pressure in banana leaves.

Stomatal oscillations are cyclic opening and closing of stomata, presumed to initiate from hydraulic mismatch between leaf water supply and transpiration rate. To test this assumption, mismatches between water supply and transpiration were induced using manipulations of vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and light spectrum in banana (Musa acuminata). Simultaneous measurements of gas exchange with changes in leaf turgor pressure were used to describe the hydraulic mismatches.

Lower leaf gas-exchange and higher photorespiration of treated wastewater irrigated Citrus trees is modulated by soil type and climate.

Water quality, soil and climate can interact to limit photosynthesis and to increase photooxidative damage in sensitive plants. This research compared diffusive and non-diffusive limitations to photosynthesis as well as photorespiration of leaves of grapefruit trees in heavy clay and sandy soils having a previous history of treated wastewater (TWW) irrigation for >10 years, with different water qualities [fresh water (FW) vs TWW and sodium amended treated wastewater (TWW + Na)] in two arid climates (summer vs winter) and in orchard and lysimeter experiments. TWW irrigation increased salts (Na(+) and Cl(-) ), membrane leakage, proline and soluble sugar content, and decreased osmotic potentials in leaves of all experiments.

Direct in vivo evidence of immense stem water exploitation in irrigated date palms.

During the summer, evaporative demand at midday often exceeds the transport capacity of most desert plants. However, date palms maintain their ecological dominance with sustained and uniquely high rates of transpiration. This high rate of flow cannot be attributed to soil water supply alone.

Estimating sap flux densities in date palm trees using the heat dissipation method and weighing lysimeters.

In a world of diminishing water reservoirs and a rising demand for food, the practice and development of water stress indicators and sensors are in rapid progress. The heat dissipation method, originally established by Granier, is herein applied and modified to enable sap flow measurements in date palm trees in the southern Arava desert of Israel. A long and tough sensor was constructed to withstand insertion into the date palm's hard exterior stem.

Salt stress aggravates boron toxicity symptoms in banana leaves by impairing guttation.

Boron (B) is known to accumulate in the leaf margins of different plant species, arguably a passive consequence of enhanced transpiration at the ends of the vascular system. However, transpiration rate is not the only factor affecting ion distribution. We examine an alternative hypothesis, suggesting the participation of the leaf bundle sheath in controlling radial water and solute transport from the xylem to the mesophyll in analogy to the root endodermis.

Functional anatomy controls ion distribution in banana leaves: significance of Na+ seclusion at the leaf margins.

Typical salt stress symptoms appear in banana (Musa sp., cv. 'Grand Nain' AAA) only along the leaf margins.