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Connecting developmental and process physiology to improve yield with a film antitranspirant.

Discussion of hypothesis that reduced photosynthesis may be less important for wheat yield than conserving water in the plant at one especially sensitive stage.

Year of Publication2010

Research on film antitranspirants has focused on process physiology and has shown that these materials reduce both transpiration and photosynthesis. It was concluded that crop yield would be reduced by antitranspirant application. Separate research into developmental physiology has, however, shown one specific stage is especially sensitive to water stress in wheat. Connecting these facts enables a hypothesis to be proposed that reduced photosynthesis may be less important for yield than conserving water in the plant at the most sensitive stage. A spray of a film antitranspirant at the booting stage has increased yield of droughted wheat by 42% consistent with this hypothesis.

This item is categorised as follows

• Subject Collection > Arable & industrial crops > Cereal crops

Additional keywords/tags

water stresswater deficitdi 1 p menthene