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Measurement of Total and Osmotic Potentials in Lucerne and Sunflower Tissues using Thermocouple Psychrometers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2017

G. C. Wright
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Victoria Institute for Irrigation and Salinity Research, Tatura, Victoria, Australia 3616
D. M. Whitfield
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Victoria Institute for Irrigation and Salinity Research, Tatura, Victoria, Australia 3616

Summary

The measurement of leaf water and osmotic potential using thermocouple psychrometry was investigated in field grown stands of sunflower and lucerne. For the chamber size and tissue dimensions used, vapour pressure equilibrium was achieved after 4 to 6 h for leaf water and osmotic potential samples. In lucerne, as the time delay between excising the leaf and sealing it in the chamber was increased from 30 s to 8 min, water apparently evaporated from the leaf sample and leaf water and osmotic potential markedly decreased. For routine psychrometer determinations of leaf water and osmotic potential in lucerne (and presumably other species) leaf samples should therefore be sealed in the chambers as quickly as possible to minimize rapid water loss and associated errors in water potential determination. Vapour pressure equilibration for sunflower capitulum and root water and osmotic potential samples was achieved only after 6 and 24 h, respectively.

G. C. Wright y D. M. Whitfield: Medición de los potentiates totales y osmóticos en tejidos de alfalfa y girasol usando psicrómetros termopar.

Resumen

Resumen

La medición de los potenciales hidrico foliar y osmótico haciendo uso de la psicrometn'a termopar fue estudiada en masas de girasol y alfalfa cultivadas en el campo. Para el tamaño de camera y dimensiones de los tejidos empleados, se logró el equilibrio de la tensión del vapor luego de 4 a 6 h para muestras de potential hidrico foliar y osmótico. En la alfalfa, a medida que se incrementaba la demora entre la excisión de la hoja y su introduction en la camara desde 30 segundos hasta 8 rainutos, el agua aparentemente se evaporaba de la muestra de la hoja, y los potenciales hidrico foliar y osmótico disminuyeron notablemente. Para determinaciones psicrometricas rutinarias del potential hidrico foliar y el osmotico en la alfalfa (y probablemente en otras especies), las muestras foliares deberian por lo tanto introducirse en las camaras cuanto antes para minimizar la pérdida rápida de agua y errores asociados en la deteminación del potential hidrico. El quilibrio de la tension del vapor para el capitulo de girasol y muestras de potential hidrico y osmótico de las rai'ces fue alcanzado sólo después de 6 y 24 horas respectivamente.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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