Plant water uptake by hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes at 2°C and low light intensity

摘要

BackgroundHard red winter wheat (HRWW; Triticum aestivm L.) plants from genotypes selected in the Northern Great Plains of the U.S. have less tissue water after exposure to cool autumn temperatures than plants from the Southern Great Plains. It is generally assumed that the reduced tissue water content of northern compared to southern cultivars is due to an impedance to water uptake by northern plants as a result of the low autumn temperatures. We hypothesize that if low temperature impedes water uptake then less soil water would be removed by northern than by southern-selected cultivars. This hypothesis was tested by comparing plant water uptake of a northern (FR) and a southern (FS) cultivar in relation to their foliage water content at 2°C.