Resumen

LUNA-FLORES, W.; ESTRADA-MEDINA, H.; JIMENEZ-OSORNIO, J. J. M.  y  PINZON-LOPEZ, L. L.. Effect of water stress on growth and water use efficiency of tree seedlings of three deciduous species. Terra Latinoam [online]. 2012, vol.30, n.4, pp.343-353. ISSN 2395-8030.

Water stress is a major cause of mortality in plants. It occurs when transpiration exceeds the amount of water absorbed by roots. The morphological and physiological effects of plant water stress have been well documented in adult trees but little is known about effects on seedlings. The aim of this study was to evaluate, under semi-controlled conditions, the effect of water stress on growth and water use efficiency of productivity (EUAp) in seedlings of deciduous Leucaena leucocephala, Cordia dodecandra and Piscidia piscipula. The study was undertaken in a greenhouse at the Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias of the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán between January and March, 2011. Four seedlings of each species were subjected to two treatments, induced water stress (CEI) and without induced water stress (SEI). Sampling was done when all CEI seedlings of each species exhibited the first signs of wilting. We determined the water status (water potential Ψ, relative water content in soil, leaves and stem and evapotranspiration), plant growth (height, root length, leaf area, leaf, stem and root biomass) and EUAp for each species under both CEI and SEI treatments. CEI seedlings had a 20% more negative Ψ, lower evapotranspiration and relative water content than SEI seedlings. EUAp showed no significant differences between treatments for any species, except for leaf area which was lower in CEI seedlings of P. piscipula and L. leucocephala. In this study, water stress mainly affectedΨ and leaf area. Under conditions similar to those of this study, we recommend watering the seedlings of the three studied species before they reach a Ψ of -3 MPa.

Palabras llave : water potential; evapotranspiration; water content; Leucaena leucocephala; Piscidia piscipula; Cordia dodecandra.

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