Leaf rolling dynamics for atmospheric moisture harvesting in wheat plant as an adaptation to arid environments

Sabah Merrium,Sadia Hakeem,Zulfiqar Ali,Muhammad Hammad Nadeem Tahir,Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman

doi:10.1007/s11356-022-18936-2

Abstract

Plant species surviving in the arid regions have developed novel leaf features to harvest atmospheric water. Before the collected water evaporates, it is absorbed and transported for storage within the tissues and move toward the root zone through the unique chemistry of leaf structures. Deep insights into such features reveal that similarities can be found in the wheat plant. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the leaf rolling dynamics among wheat genotypes and their relationships with moisture harvesting and its movement on the leaf surface. For this purpose, genotypes were characterized for leaf rolling at three distinct growth stages (tillering, booting, and spike emergence). The contact angle of leaf surface dynamics (adaxial and abaxial), water budget, and morphophysiological traits of genotypes were measured. The results indicate that leaf rolling varies from inward to twisting type among genotypes and positively affected the water use efficiency and soil moisture difference at all growth stages under normal and drought conditions. Results of wetting property (hydrophilic < 90°) of the leaf surface were positively associated with the atmospheric water collection (4–7 ml). The lower values of contact angle hysteresis (12–19°) also support this mechanism. Thus, genotypes with leaf rolling dynamics (inward rolled and twisted) and surface wettability is an efficient fog harvesting system in wheat for interception and utilization of fog water in drought-prone areas. These results can be exploited to develop self-irrigated and drought-tolerant crops.

Highlights

Climate change is one of the major concerns of today’s world due to anthropogenic activities that cause an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and extreme weather events like rising ambient temperatures, extreme precipitation events, Responsible Editor: Philippe GarriguesAmong cereals, wheat is the most important due to its nutritional quality and potential to fulfill the energy demand of the ever-increasing world population
Leaf traits like leaf rolling dynamics, leaf angle, and leaf wettability determine the acquisition of fog water in wheat
Our findings indicate that inward to twisted leaf canopy can help capture and retain atmospheric water within the root zone

Summary

Introduction

Climate change is one of the major concerns of today’s world due to anthropogenic activities that cause an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and extreme weather events like rising ambient temperatures, extreme precipitation events, Responsible Editor: Philippe Garrigues. Wheat is the most important due to its nutritional quality and potential to fulfill the energy demand of the ever-increasing world population. While it is predicted that the global population will reach 9.1 billion in 2050, there is a need to produce 70% more wheat to fulfill the increasing demands of exploding world population to ensure food security (FAO 2019). Ray et al (2013) reported that global wheat production is 38% less than the projected demand (2050). The estimated global wheat production was 730.7 million tons in 2018–2019 (FAO 2019). Among many negative impacts of climate change, the unavailability of water is considered to be the most detrimental for the wheat crop (Asseng et al 2015; Barnabás et al 2008; Lesk et al 2016; Rahman et al 2021). Demirhan (2020) reported that a 1 °C increase in temperature will significantly reduce 4–6%

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