Hi All,
I really need an assay(s) that can test how efficient a plant is using water? Thus far, my method for measuring this have been by using a porometer, and a simple assay where you put plant cuttings in a tube and measure how much water they remove (via transpiration).
I have several compounds that I need to screen to see if they help plants take up water more. I'd be great if there was a simple assay out there that could do this.
All thoughts/ideas/comments are welcomed!
Hello,
There seems that you are interested in assessing the effects of chemicals on water uptake by plants. Your current methods assesses the effects of endogenous application (via transpiration stream) on processes such as membrane transport and stomatal closure. Water uptake from the soil by roots would require growing plants in pots of nutrient solution (hydroponics)and then applying the chemicals to the intact root system. Water loss can be measured by weighing the pots.
Regards
Water uptake under full hydration is controlled by a given set of plant traits which can be different from plants under water deficit. If you use hydroponics as indeed suggested by David Lawlor it would be interesting and realistic towards application to test your chemicals under well watered conditions (strait hydroponics) and also under drought stress as imposed by PEG added to the hydroponic solution to about -0.5 MPa (second treatment). Check Plantstress.com/methods for PEG usage.
It seems that plants need help to take up water but in nature plant shapes are optimized to best use. and treatments were applied in order to increase water use by limiting water uptake for a given plant mass. Carbon stable isotopic ratio is a non invasive and native tool that can help in contest and several SIRA are available as services for moderate cost https://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/nursery/metria/metria11/cregg/ . In practice you pick an dry some leaf from plants growing nearby and send the powders to a lab...
David & Abraham,
Thanks for the advice and help. Really appreciate it! Indeed, I will be trying this out. I'll look into simple hydroponic set-ups that could be placed on a lab bench (space is an issue for us).
I've been doing a somewhat similar assay, in which I cut small seedings (corn), then place them in pre-weighed eppendorff tubes containing water and the sample chemical (the control has no chemical - plain water). The seeding+tubes are then placed under a light for 24 hours, and then weighed. The difference between the initial mass and final mass is the taken. Compounds that 'help the plant' take up more water, are then found. Interestingly, it does work....but only sometimes! not very robust. This really only tests the compounds ability to immediately effect water use.
The suggestion of using roots and a hydroponic system does make more since, as well as subjecting the plants to well-watered and water stressed. I'll give it a try.
Best regards,
Christian
Thanks Svetoslav - Sorry for long delay. I'll definitely try this out!
Best,
Christian
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