Anatomical Basis for Optimal Use of Water for Maintenance of Three Xerophytic Plants

Abdullahi Alanamu Abdulrahaman,Felix Ayotunde Oladele

doi:10.15835/nsb427423

Abstract

Three xerophytic plant species namely Agave americana Linn., Aloe vera Tourn. and Linn. and Euphorbia milii Des Moul. were propagated in a greenhouse each with 5 varying soil moisture contents i.e. 1.25%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 20% and subjected to 4 watering frequencies i.e. daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly. Euphorbia milii was the most xerophytic species having relatively lower rate of transpiration than Aloe vera and Agave americana. It was suggested that the high rate of transpiration in Aloe vera and Agave americana may be due to the large tetracytic stomata as compared to the small paracytic stomata of Euphorbia milii. It was also observed that Aloe vera was least tolerant of high soil moisture in daily watering as well as low soil moisture in monthly regime. Agave americana and Euphorbia milii were species that were more robust with capacity to cope well with low and high watering regimes than Aloe vera.

Highlights

Water cycle, water stress, transpiration and plants with their stomatal opening and closing potentials are inseparable
Transpiration is at the same time known to participate actively in water cycle in the planet Earth because about 2/3 of water in the water cycle passed through the plants
Water use efficiency (WUE) of a plant becomes predominant in lieu of water scarcity in the world today, and this will depend on water saving capacity (WSC) of plant

Summary

Introduction

Water stress, transpiration and plants with their stomatal opening and closing potentials are inseparable. Plants are producers on whose other organisms depend for survival especially for food supply. Water loss is an inevitable consequence of stomatal opening for photosynthetic carbon gain (Caird et al, 2007), and this contributes greatly to water stress in plants and to poor growth and development of plants. Because of problems of inadequate water supply and unavoidable water loss through transpiration most plants become water-stressed. Water use efficiency (WUE) of a plant becomes predominant in lieu of water scarcity in the world today, and this will depend on water saving capacity (WSC) of plant

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