Ren, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Guo, S.; Wang, B.; Wang, S.; Gao, W. Pipe Cavitation Parameters Reveal Bubble Embolism Dynamics in Maize Xylem Vessels across Water Potential Gradients. Agriculture2023, 13, 1867.
Ren, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Guo, S.; Wang, B.; Wang, S.; Gao, W. Pipe Cavitation Parameters Reveal Bubble Embolism Dynamics in Maize Xylem Vessels across Water Potential Gradients. Agriculture 2023, 13, 1867.
Ren, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Guo, S.; Wang, B.; Wang, S.; Gao, W. Pipe Cavitation Parameters Reveal Bubble Embolism Dynamics in Maize Xylem Vessels across Water Potential Gradients. Agriculture2023, 13, 1867.
Ren, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Guo, S.; Wang, B.; Wang, S.; Gao, W. Pipe Cavitation Parameters Reveal Bubble Embolism Dynamics in Maize Xylem Vessels across Water Potential Gradients. Agriculture 2023, 13, 1867.
Abstract
Maize, a crop of international relevance, frequently undergoes xylem embolism due to water shortage, negatively impacting growth, yield, and quality. Consequently, a refined comprehension of xylem embolism is vital for enhancing maize cultivation. Notwithstanding extensive research and the generation of analytical models for embolism mechanisms, prevalent models often disregard crop-specific hydraulic processes and the formation of embolisms via air bubbles in the xylem conduit. In this research, we present an inventive model applying pipe cavitation parameters to discern water potential and bubble formation in maize leaf xylem. The model integrates pivotal physiological traits of maize—leaf count, leaf vein count, and average leaf radius—demonstrating robust correlations. Furthermore, we constructed a percentage conductivity loss (PLC) curve based on pre-dawn leaf water potential and compared it with our model, offering interval data to observe embolisation events triggered by air bubbles. Utilizing experimental data, our novel cavitation-parameters based model effectively corresponds with observed bubble phenomena and appropriately characterizes water transport in plant xylem conduits. This method enabled us to observe the transition from bubble occurrence to cavitation embolism microscopically, which aligned with the embolism intervals provided by the model. This procedure reveals potential trends in bubble-induced embolism and deepens our knowledge of microscopic plant hydraulics and crop embolism. This work establishes a basis for understanding the generation of bubble embolisms in maize, assists in evaluating maize plant water status for efficient water supply management throughout the growth cycle, and contributes towards potential water management strategies for maize.
Keywords
cavitation parameters; maize leaf water potential; embolism
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
