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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Adaptive Cropping Systems Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #343848
Title: Transpiration response of cotton to vapor pressure deficit and its relationship with stomatal traits

Author
item MURA, JYOSTNA - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Reddy, Vangimalla

Submitted to: Frontiers in Plant Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/9/2018
Publication Date: 10/30/2018
Citation: Mura, J.D., Reddy, V. 2018. Transpiration response of cotton to vapor pressure deficit and its relationship with stomatal traits. Frontiers in Plant Science. 9:1572. 10.3389/fpls.2018.01572.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.01572

Interpretive Summary: Cotton is grown as an important commercial crop in many countries and drought is one of the greatest threats to crop profitability. Limiting transpiration under dry-air conditions conserves water and provides a positive impact on overall crop yield under water limited conditions. This study investigated several cotton varieties for their transpiration response to different wet- air to dry-air environmental conditions. Some of these cotton varieties were expressed water-conserving limited transpiration under dry-air environment and modified their stomatal properties. Based on this research, genetic variation has been identified for transpiration response to dry-air environment in cotton. These results will be useful to breeders to apply in breeding programs to improve drought tolerance in cotton and can also be incorporated into crop models to predict the yield in target drought environments.

Technical Abstract: Many studies have demonstrated that cotton in warm environments makes crops vulnerable to water-limitations thus reducing yield. Limitation on maximum transpiration rate under high vapor pressure deficit (VPD), usually occurs during midday, and is often considered a water conservation trait. In the present study, seventeen cotton genotypes were studied for their transpiration rate (TR) response to various VPD environments. Out of seventeen, eight genotypes limited TR after approximately 2 kPa VPD and the rest of them increased their TR with increased VPD. Five selected genotypes with different TR response to increasing VPD were further studied for gas exchange and stomatal properties. All genotypes, irrespective of exhibiting limited TR at high VPD, reduced stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and water potential at high VPD of 3.3 kPa. The genotypes with limited TR modified their stomatal traits mostly on the adaxial surface with frequent and small stomata under high VPD. The genotypes with limited TR also exhibited differences in epidermal cell expansion and stomatal index at contrasting VPD gradients to effectively balance the liquid and vapor phase conductance to limit TR at high VPD.