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Contrasting leaf porometer and infra-red gas analyser methodologies: an old paradigm about the stomatal conductance measurement

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Abstract

Here we compare the stomatal conductance (gs) values obtained with leaf porometer and infra-red gas analyzer (IRGA) in different species subjected to different water availability and evaluated in two different environmental conditions. Sunflower, maize, bean, and grapevine were subjected to two treatments of water availability: well-watered and progressive water stress for 3 days and evaluated in two different times with contrasting environmental conditions. The gs was determined both on the abaxial and adaxial side of leaves using a leaf porometer and an IRGA. The measured gs strongly differed between IRGA and porometer, in a way that depended on the species, as well as water availability and environmental conditions. Under maximum water stress, gs measured with leaf porometer was higher than those measured with IRGA in the four species studied. The present results question the use of usual methodologies for the estimation of gs, suggesting that gs would not only depend on the environmental conditions and the water status of the plants, but also on the method used to measure it.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the Comisión Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONICYT) Regional/CEAF/R08I1001 and the Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT) Postdoctoral project Nº 3160558 for funds to visit the University of Balearic Islands (UBI), where the experiments were conducted. We are especially grateful to Mr. Miquel Truyol for his assistance during experiments in UBI experimental field. We would like to express our appreciation to Miss Paula Sancho for her assistance during the entire experimental period.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Fruticultura (CEAF), Camino Las Parcelas 882, km 105 Ruta 5 Sur, Sector Los Choapinos, 2940000, Rengo, Chile

    Guillermo Toro

  2. Research Group on Plant Biology Under Mediterranean Conditions, Department of Biology, Universitat de les Illes Balears, cta. de Valldemossa Km 7.5, 07122, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Jaume Flexas & José Mariano Escalona

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  1. Guillermo Toro
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  2. Jaume Flexas
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  3. José Mariano Escalona
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GT and JE designed the experiment. GT performed the measurements. GT, JE and JF analyzed and discussed the data. All authors approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Guillermo Toro.

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Toro, G., Flexas, J. & Escalona, J.M. Contrasting leaf porometer and infra-red gas analyser methodologies: an old paradigm about the stomatal conductance measurement. Theor. Exp. Plant Physiol. 31, 483–492 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40626-019-00161-x

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