Whole shoot gas exchange and stomatal traits in maize under water drought as related to its growth.
2025
OLIVEIRA, J. P. V. de | DUARTE, V. P. | CASTRO, E. M. de | MAGALHAES, P. C. | PEREIRA, F. J. | JEAN PAULO VITOR DE OLIVEIRA, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE LAVRAS; VINÍCIUS POLITI DUARTE, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE LAVRAS; EVARISTO MAURO DE CASTRO, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE LAVRAS; PAULO CESAR MAGALHAES, CNPMS; FABRICIO JOSÉ PEREIRA, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE ALFENAS.
Leaf area is a functional characteristic that can be used as a key indicator of responses to global environmental changes. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of drought on the growth, leaf area, gas exchange, and leaf anatomy of Zea mays L. The experiments were conducted in a greenhouse with a controlled temperature. The plants were exposed to three water conditions: field capacity (FC), 75% of FC, and 50% of FC, using 10 replicates of one plant each. Drought reduced the dry mass of vegetative organs, which slowed plant growth. This helped the water potential remain unchanged, indicating the stability of the partial water pressure. In addition, the number of leaves, leaf width, leaf thickness, and mesophyll area were reduced by drought and severely decreased the leaf area. No significant changes were detected in gas exchange per unit area, but gas exchange in the whole plant was lower indicating the necessity to evaluate this trait in maize. Drought reduced the stomatal index on the adaxial side and the total number of stomata and stomatal pore area on both the abaxial and adaxial sides also indicating that the responses of whole leaf area are important to maize studies under drought.
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