Rapid environmental changes that affect leaf water status induce transient surges or pauses in leaf expansion rate

Abstract

We subjected wheat and barley plants to rapid environmental changes, and monitored leaf elongation rates for several hours thereafter. Changes in light, humidity or salinity caused sudden rises (if the leaf water status rose) or falls (if the leaf water status fell) in leaf elongation rate, followed by a recovery phase that lasted 20–60 min. After a step change in light or humidity, the growing leaf eventually resumed its original elongation rate, although the shoot water status, as monitored by leaf thickness, differed markedly. Salinity, on the other hand, produced a persistent change in leaf elongation rate, which settled down to a lower steady rate after the transient response was over. To determine whether the sudden changes in leaf elongation rate were due to changes in leaf water relations, we kept shoots fully hydrated through the environmental changes by automatically pressurising the roots to maintain leaf xylem on the point of bleeding. This annulled the environmental effects on leaf water status, and thereby largely removed the changes in leaf elongation rate. The only exception was at the dark:light transition, when the leaf elongation rate of pressurised plants rose sharply (in contrast to that of unpressurised plants, which fell), then underwent damped oscillations before settling at about its initial value. The sudden excursions of leaf growth in unpressurised plants accompanying the environmental changes were undoubtedly due to changes in leaf water status. The subsequent, generally complete, return of the leaf elongation rate to its initial value within an hour, despite the persistent change in leaf water status, suggests that a control system is operating at a time scale of tens of minutes that eventually overrides, partially or completely, the rapid effects of changes in leaf water status.