Variation In Leaf Water Potential Research Articles

Terrestrial laser scanning intensity captures diurnal variation in leaf water potential

During the past decades, extreme events have become more prevalent and last longer, and as a result drought-induced plant mortality has increased globally. Timely information on plant water dynamics is essential for understanding and anticipating drought-induced plant mortality. Leaf water potential (ΨL), which is usually measured destructively, is the most common metric that has been used for decades for measuring water stress. Remote sensing methods have been developed to obtain information on water dynamics from trees and forested landscapes. However, the spatial and temporal resolutions of the existing methods have limited our understanding of the water dynamics and diurnal variation of ΨL within single trees. Thus, we investigated the capability of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) intensity in observing diurnal variation in ΨL during a 50-h monitoring period. We aimed to improve the understanding on how large a part of the diurnal variation in ΨL can be captured using TLS intensity observations. We found that TLS intensity at the 905 nm wavelength measured from a static position was able to explain 77% of the variation in ΨL for three trees of two tree species with a root mean square error of 0.141 MPa. Based on our experiment with three trees, a time series of TLS intensity measurements can be used in detecting changes in ΨL, and thus it is worthwhile to expand the investigations to cover a wider range of tree species and forests and further increase our understanding of plant water dynamics at wider spatial and temporal scales.

Variation of leaf water potential and leaf gas exchange parameters of seven Silver linden (Tilia tomentosa Moench) genotypes in urban environment

Differences between genotypes are considered to be the most important requisite for a resilient urban forest. Analyses of physiological traits, such as leaf water potential and leaf gas exchange could provide useful insight into the capacity of different species and genotypes to grow in harsh urban environments. In the present study, a variation of midday (Psmd) and predawn (Pspd) leaf water potential, net photosynthesis (A), rate of transpiration (E), stomatal conductance (gs), and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) of seven Silver linden genotypes (Tilia tomentosa Moench), planted in the urban environment in Novi Sad, were examined. Analysis of variance and LSD tests were used to show differences between studied silver linden genotypes. The results showed significant differences for all observed leaf gas exchange parameters (A, E, gs, Ci, Pspd and Psmd) between genotypes. The results indicate better physiological performances of genotypes T3, in comparison to other observed genotypes under the prevailing environmental condition of the studied site in the urban environment.

Representativeness of Scholander chamber measurements as a function of time after leaf removal.

The objectives of the study were to determine the maximum tolerable period between leaf removal from a plant and the determination of leaf water potential (Ψ l ), and to evaluate different ways of packing leaves after their removal from a plant (LR). Two experiments (Exp) were conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replicates, using bean, maize, and soybean crops. The predawn leaf water potential (Ψ PD ) (Exp1) and the minimum leaf water potential (Ψ min ) (Exp1 and Exp2) were determined. The maximum tolerable period between LR varied among species, ranging from 80 to 90min for bean and soybean, and from 40 to 60min for maize. A box with low interior air temperature and capable of blocking the effect of solar radiation reduced variation in leaf water potential. These results indicate that the determination of the Ψ l in bean, soybean, and maize crops does not need to be carried out immediately after leaf removal.

Modelling hydraulic functioning of an adult beech stand under non-limiting soil water and severe drought condition

Modelling hydraulic functioning of a forest stand is a prerequisite to predict the future impact of climate change on forests. In this paper, we used a process-based model of the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum to investigate the links between energy budget and water balance, and to emphasize the key processes involved in the control of transpiration and water status of forest trees. The model describes stomatal conductance as a function of photosynthesis, intercellular CO2 concentration and leaf water potential. The latter in turn depends on soil and tree storage water potentials, the water flux through the soil and the trees, hydraulic resistances and stomatal conductance. We have implemented in the model a detailed tree water storage scheme, canopy interception of precipitation, and the rate of change of forest canopy energy storage. In this model, physical climate processes and ecological processes are closely coupled which involves important interactions and feedbacks. The model reproduces the observed variation in leaf water potential in dry and wet conditions. It successfully captures the decrease in soil water content under both non-limiting soil water and severe drought conditions and there is a good agreement between measured and simulated sensible and latent heat fluxes throughout the season. Simulations also show that significant amounts of intercepted water can be lost through evaporation during rain events. The results corroborate that the concept of hydraulic capacitance provides a simple and effective means of simulating the buffering action of tree water storage on tree water status. The two key parameters that control transpiration and water status of the trees are xylem hydraulic resistances and sensitivity of stomata to leaf water potential. The results confirm that stomatal conductance cannot be modelled using leaf-level processes alone, but must be incorporated into a comprehensive model of water flow from soil through the plants to the atmosphere where various self-regulation are set up to ensure a complete water status equilibrium.

Effect of seedling stock on the early stand development and physiology of improved loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings

Abstract: This study assessed the effects of spacing and genotype on the growth and physiology of improved loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings from three distinct genotypes planted in Drew County, Arkansas (USA). Genotype had a significant effect on survival and height. Clone CF Var 1 showed greater height and survival compared to other seedlings. Genotype had significant effects on uniformity in height both years and ground line diameter (GLD) first year. However, genotype had no significant effects on leaf water potential and coefficient variation of leaf water potential. These growth and physiology should be further studied to assess potential genetic differences among seedlings and to determine if they can be identified early for improved growth at later ages.

Chlorophyll fluorescence varies more across seasons than leaf water potential in drought-prone plants.

Among the effects of environmental change, the intensification of drought events is noteworthy, and tropical vegetation is predicted to be highly vulnerable to it. However, it is not clear how tropical plants in drought-prone habitats will respond to this change. In a coastal sandy plain environment, we evaluated the response of six plant species to water deficits across seasons, the relationship between their morpho-physiological traits, and which traits would be the best descriptors of plants' response to drought. Regardless of leaf succulence and phenology, responses between seasons were most strongly related to chlorophyll fluorescence. In this study we have demonstrated that a better comprehension of how tropical species from drought-prone habitats cope with changes in water availability can be based on seasonal variation in leaf water potential and chlorophyll fluorescence. Temporal variation in leaf water potential and chlorophyll fluorescence was found useful for differentiating between groups of sandy soil species that are responsive or unresponsive to water availability. However, chlorophyll fluorescence appeared to be a more sensitive descriptor of their seasonal and short-term responses.

Seasonal Changes in Leaf Tissue Rehydration of One Annual and Two Perennial Grass Forage Species Induced by Bioclimate

Bioclimate signifies the continuous interplay between plants and climate factors (primarily drought) and has a direct impact on the water relations and the duration of the rehydration process in water stressed plants. To explore the association between bioclimate and water physiology of forage species in semi-arid Mediterranean grasslands, we determined the seasonal variation in leaf water potential, turgid weight and relative water content in wild growing Dactylis glomerata L., Bromus inermis Leyss (perennial) and Bromus sterilis L. (annual) during the growing season. The study was conducted at the farm of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The results of the current study reveal that B. sterilis maintained high levels of water potential most probably by accelerating its biological cycle and decreasing water content because it fails to sustain turgidity. Dactylis glomerata and B. inermis presented even higher water contents than B. sterilis for the same water potential. Dactylis glomerata exhibited substantially higher water potential and content than B. inermis by keeping the rehydration duration stable. The extensive creeping rhizome seems to allow B. inermis to sustain high values of water potential and content possibly ensuring turgidity. Regardless of the grass species the duration of rehydration ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 hours throughout the growing season. Our findings demonstrate that (a) D. glomerata and B. inermis are better adapted to Mediterranean semiarid conditions than B. sterilis and (b) turgid weight in Mediterranean forage species can safely be determined after a rehydration period of 3.5 hours.

Gas valves, forests and global change: a commentary on Jarvis (1976) 'The interpretation of the variations in leaf water potential and stomatal conductance found in canopies in the field'.

Microscopic turgor-operated gas valves on leaf surfaces—stomata—facilitate gas exchange between the plant and the atmosphere, and respond to multiple environmental and endogenous cues. Collectively, stomatal activities affect everything from the productivity of forests, grasslands and crops to biophysical feedbacks between land surface vegetation and climate. In 1976, plant physiologist Paul Jarvis reported an empirical model describing stomatal responses to key environmental and plant conditions that predicted the flux of water vapour from leaves into the surrounding atmosphere. Subsequent theoretical advances, building on this earlier approach, established the current paradigm for capturing the physiological behaviour of stomata that became incorporated into sophisticated models of land carbon cycling. However, these models struggle to accurately predict observed trends in the physiological responses of Northern Hemisphere forests to recent atmospheric CO2 increases, highlighting the need for improved representation of the role of stomata in regulating forest–climate interactions. Bridging this gap between observations and theory as atmospheric CO2 rises and climate change accelerates creates challenging opportunities for the next generation of physiologists to advance planetary ecology and climate science. This commentary was written to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

Photosynthetic Performance and its Relationship with Leaf Water Potential in <i>Desmodium gangeticum</i> L. DC. (Shalaparni) Genotypes under Field Conditions

Desmodium gangeticum L. DC. (Family - Fabaceae) is a medicinal legume that grows in dry hilly areas and dried roots are used as general tonic and aphrodisiac. It has a calming, sedative effect and is also used to control inflammation, fever and neurological imbalances. Genetic variability for leaf water potential and photosynthetic activities which attributes for biomass was assessed in 31 accessions collected from various agro climatic zones of India. The accessions were screened for three gas exchange parameters viz ., photosynthetic rate (P n ), stomatal conductance (g s ) and transpiration rate (E) during active photosynthetic period and leaf water potential (Ψ) during pre-dawn, noon and dusk. Plant biomass was recorded for the accessions during harvest. There were considerable variations in leaf water potential of genotypes during pre-dawn and noon. The genotypes differed significantly for the gas exchange parameters studied. High positive correlation was observed between P n and g s (R 2 = 0.68) with E (R 2 = 0. 75) and significant negative correlation with noon ψ w (-0.26). The genotypes were categorized into 2 main clusters namely, A and B with 4 sub clusters. Cluster A contained 13 genotypes of which 6 had higher photosynthetic performance with superior water relations and cluster B contained 18 genotypes of which 3 accessions (DDG 3, DDG 22 and DDG 33) formed a sub group and exhibited poor photosynthetic performance. The positive correlation of g s and E with photosynthesis can be helpful for improvement of D. gangeticum .

The Temporal Variation of Leaf Water Potential in Pistachio under Irrigated and Non-Irrigated Conditions

The present study was carried out in the experimental field of Pistachio Research Institute on pistachio trees which has uzun variety that was 30 years old. The aim of this research was to determine the Leaf Water Potential (LWP) of Pistacia vera L. under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. In the study, the leaf water potential of pistachio was investigated under fully irrigated and non irrigated conditions. The leaf water potential values were measured one day before and after irrigation by using pressure chamber technique at the beginning, mid and end of irrigation season. According to the results obtained from measurements, the LWP value at the beginning of the irrigation season was -3.7 MPa at noon time due to relatively high temperature for both treatments. At the time of pre-dawn and sunset, this value increased and reached to -1.6 MPa due to relatively low temperature. In general, the LWP values during the mid of irrigation season, in the irrigated treatments, reached to almost -2.5 MPa in the non-irrigated treatment and the value was measured as -3.68 MPa.

Effects of Different Irrigation Amounts on Water Use of Precocious Walnuts

Objective : To provide scientific guidance for water management of precocious walnuts. Method: With 8 years old ‘Lvling’ walnut trees as samples, 5 irrigation quantity treatments were designed, including 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 kg of water per plant for each time, respectively and the routine irrigation amount (CK) was 600 kg of water per plant for each time. During the draught stage in growing season, 3 times of irrigation were carried out, and the effects of different treatments on sap flow, water use efficiency, yield and fruit quality were compared. Results: The daily instantaneous maximum average sap flow rates were found with 60 kg of water and control; the daily highest average water use efficiency was 1.54 mmol/mol with the treatment of 30 kg water; the daily highest average leaf water potential was-1.23 MPa with control; the highest yield per plant (1.48 kg) was found with the control, and the yield of 45 kg and 60 kg water per plant one time accounted for 98.65% and 99.32% of that of control, respectively. with T1 the yield was the lowest, only accounting for 70.65% of the control. Conclusion: As the soil water contents increased, the diurnal variation curve of sap flow rates changed from unimodal to bimodal patterns in sunny days, the main peak was narrowed; the curve of diurnal variation of leaf water potential changed from "V" to "W" type; the leaf water use efficiency increased initially and then decreased later; and the nut quality was improved and the yield increased. The optimal soil water content (SWC) of 'Lvling' precocious walnuts ranged from 20.01% ~ 21.96%.

Variations in Leaf Water Potential in the Wild Ethiopian Coffea arabica Accessions under Contrasting Nursery Environments

Variations in Leaf Water Potential in the Wild Ethiopian Coffea arabica Accessions under Contrasting Nursery Environments

Water use efficiency and fruit quality of table grape under alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation

Two-year field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation on fruit yield, fruit quality and water use efficiency of table grape ( Vitis vinifera L. cv Rizamat) in the arid region of northwest China. Three irrigation treatments were included, i.e. CDI (conventional drip irrigation, both sides of the root-zone irrigated), ADI (alternate drip irrigation, both sides of the root-zone irrigated alternatively with half the water) and FDI (fixed drip irrigation, only one side of the root system irrigated with half the water). Results indicated that compared to CDI, ADI kept the same photosynthetic rate ( P n) but reduced transpiration rate, thus increased leaf water use efficiency (WUE) of table grape. And diurnal variation of leaf water potential showed no significant differences during 7.00 a.m. to 14.00 p.m. in both years. ADI also produced similar yield and improved WUE ET by 26.7–46.4% and increased the percentage of edible grape by 3.88–5.78%, vitamin C content in the fruit by 15.3–42.2% and ratio of total soluble solid concentration/titrated acid in both years as compared to CDI. Thus ADI saved irrigation water, improved the water use efficiency and fruit quality of table grape without detrimental effect on the fruit yield in arid region.

Genotypic consistency in the expression of leaf water potential in rice ( Oryza sativa L.)

Early work has shown variation in the grain yield of rice cultivars grown under water stress conditions to be associated with the plant water status, mainly with the maintenance of high leaf water potential (LWP) at flowering and grain filling stage. Considerable variation for LWP among rice varieties has been recorded. The present work was designed to investigate genotypic consistency in water potential within the plant and under canopy manipulation to vary plant water requirement. In a glasshouse experiment, with six rice genotypes, a consistent water potential gradient from stem base to leaf tip has been observed. Leaf tip water potential has been found as the minimum LWP that can be recorded at any time of stress. Genotypes with similar canopy size could maintain different levels of LWP under stress conditions. In a field experiment, with four selected lines, four canopy sizes and two canopy mixture treatments were introduced prior to the imposition of control, mild and severe water stress conditions. It was found that the line differences in LWP and relative water content (RWC) were expressed under both mild and severe stress conditions, regardless of canopy size, tiller number and whether they were mixed with another line with different capacity to maintain LWP. Although there were some differences among canopy size treatments for radiation interception in three water conditions, canopy manipulation (plant size) within a line did not affect the expression of LWP and hence genotypic variation in LWP was maintained. Under both glasshouse and field conditions, lines that maintained high LWP had larger xylem diameter and stem areas than those that had low LWP. The results indicated that the size of the vascular bundles could influence the maintenance of plant water relations under water deficit.

Wood density and anatomy of water-limited eucalypts.

We hypothesized that seedlings grown under water-limited conditions would develop denser wood than seedlings grown under well-watered conditions. Three Eucalyptus species (E. grandis Hill (ex Maiden), E. sideroxylon Cunn. (ex Woolls) and E. occidentalis Endl.) were grown in a temperature-controlled greenhouse for 19 weeks with watering treatments (well-watered and water-limited) applied at six weeks. The water-limitation treatment consisted of four drought cycles. Wood density increased by between 4 and 13% in the water-limited seedlings, but this increase was mainly due to extractive compounds embedded in the cell wall matrix. Once these compounds were removed, the increase was 0-9% and was significant for E. grandis only. Water-limitation significantly reduced mean vessel lumen area; however, this was balanced by a trend toward greater vessel frequency in water-limited plants, and consequently there was no difference in the proportion of stem area allocated to vessels. Conduit efficiency value was lowest in the water-limited plants, indicating that there was a cost in terms of stem hydraulic conductivity for decreasing vessel lumen area. Wood density was negatively correlated with vessel lumen fraction in well-watered plants, but this relationship broke down in the water-limited plants, possibly because of the significantly larger proportion of the stem taken up by pith in water-limited seedlings. Diurnal variation in leaf water potential was positively correlated with wood density in well-watered plants. This relationship did not hold in the water-limited plants owing to the collapse of the pressure gradient between soil and leaf. We conclude that drought periods of greater than 1 month are required to increase wood density in these species and that increases in wood density appear to result in diminished capacity to supply water to leaves.

Water uptake profile response of corn to soil moisture depletion

AbstractThe effects of soil moisture distribution on water uptake of drip‐irrigated corn were investigated by simultaneously monitoring the diurnal evolution of sap flow rate in stems, of leaf water potential, and of soil moisture, during intervals between successive irrigations. The results invalidate the steady‐state resistive flow model for the continuum. High hydraulic capacitance of wet soil and low hydraulic conductivity of dry soil surrounding the roots damped significantly diurnal fluctuations of water flow from bulk soil to root surface. By contrast, sap flow responded directly to the large diurnal variation of leaf water potential. In wet soil, the relation between the diurnal courses of uptake rates and leaf water potential was linear. Water potential at the root surface remained nearly constant and uniformly distributed. The slope of the lines allowed calculating the resistance of the hydraulic path in the plant. Resistances increased in inverse relation with root length density. Soil desiccation induced a diurnal variation of water potential at the root surface, the minimum occurring in the late afternoon. The increase of root surface water potential with depth was directly linked to the soil desiccation profile. The development of a water potential gradient at the root surface implies the presence of a significant axial resistance in the root hydraulic path that explains why the desiccation of the soil upper layer induces an absolute increase of water uptake rates from the deeper wet layers.

High vapour pressure deficit results in a rapid decline of leaf water potential and photosynthesis of carrots grown on free-draining, sandy soils

Two carrot (Daucus carota L.) genotypes (Nantes and Imperator) were grown in the field on a coarse-textured, sandy soil. Experiments were conducted over 2 consecutive seasons, one providing cool growing conditions and the other much warmer growing conditions during which the vapour pressure deficit was up to 2-fold higher than in the first season. Changes in growth, soil water content, and environmental conditions were monitored for both seasons, and diurnal measurements of leaf water potential and leaf photosynthesis were taken near maturity. Frequent irrigation maintained bulk soil water content above, or near, field capacity, with the sum of rainfall and irrigation exceeding potential evaporation by 1.4- and 1.3-fold during the cool and warm seasons, respectively. Even under such well-watered conditions, a large diurnal variation in leaf water potential (1200 and 1800 kPa for the cool- and warm-season crops, respectively) was recorded. During the cool season, withholding irrigation for up to 60 h resulted in further reductions in midday leaf water potential. However, there was no effect of withholding irrigation on leaf water potential during the warm season. During both seasons, leaf photosynthetic rate of well-watered plants peaked at around 20 µmol/m2.s in the early morning (0900 hours) and then decreased throughout the day, with the magnitude of the decline associated with the prevailing vapour pressure deficit. Under well-watered conditions, leaf water potential and photosynthesis were both negatively correlated with vapour pressure deficit, for both genotypes. Leaf water potential and photosynthesis were positively correlated with each other and we conclude that a high hydraulic resistance in the plant or soil results in a vapour pressure deficit-induced reduction in leaf water potential, which in turn reduces the rate of leaf photosynthesis.

Atmospheric and hydraulic limitations on transpiration in Brazilian cerrado woody species

1. Seasonal regulation of transpiration was studied in four evergreen woody species growing in a Brazilian cerrado (savanna) site with a 5 month dry season. 2. Both seasonal and interspecifc variation in leaf water potential (ΨL) were relatively small. Predawn ΨL was about 0·1–0·25 MPa more negative in the dry season than in the wet season. 3. The dependence of maximum whole‐plant sap flow rates on sapwood area was similar among all four species during both the wet and dry seasons. When total daily sap flow on a leaf area basis was normalized by the daily average air saturation deficit (ASD), only one of the four species showed significantly greater water use during the wet season. 4. Although seasonal differences in regulation of transpiration were not pronounced, strong stomatal limitation of both maximum daily transpiration rates and total daily transpiration was evident during both the wet and dry seasons. Sap flow typically increased sharply in the morning, briefly attained a maximum value by about 09.30–10.30 h, then decreased sharply, despite steadily increasing solar radiation and atmospheric evaporative demand. 5. The total leaf area‐specific apparent hydraulic conductance of the soil/leaf pathway (Gt) varied among plants and diurnally. The identical linear dependence of transpiration and stomatal conductance (gs) on Gt among the four study species suggested that stomatal adjustment to variation in Gt limited transpiration over the entire range of Gt observed. 6. When gs was normalized for daily variation in Gt, about 80% of the remaining variation in gs was associated with variation in ASD. The results suggested that transpiration in these species was not limited by soil water availability per se, but by high atmospheric evaporative demand and hydraulic constraints possibly arising from their deep rooting habit.

Soils and water uptake by vines in Pomerol: II - Water uptake and development by vines in 1995

<p style="text-align: justify;">The soil variability that we evidenced within the Pomerol vineyard (first part) in France (near to Bordeaux) led us to compare the behaviour of Merlot noir, which is the main local cultivar in this area. This study was conducted on four sites, which belong to the main soil map units of the area. Soils (FAO) were: a deep (A) and a shallow (C) planosols with abrupt textural changes between uppest sandy-gravelly horizons and sandy clay (A) or heavy clay (C) deeper layers, a very sandy well-drained neoluvisol (B), and a very stony cambisol with a temporary watertable (D). Water uptake by vines was assessed by leaf water potential measurements undertaken from June to September. Both observations on shoot elongation and leaf water potential measurements were performed together. The year 1995 exhibited a mild winter, then followed by both temperature and insolation higher than mean values. The rainfall in summer was less than the mean value, and the climatic water balance was negative. As a consequence, the vine phenology exhibited a very early development. Various water behaviours were observed amongst the four experimental plots: some were strongly linked to c1imatic events whereas others showed regulating mechanisms attributable to inherent soil properties such as texture and structure. The vine on soil D exhibited the greatest variations in water potential, showing significant periods of droughtiness during summer. On this soil, the variations in leaf water potential were strongly linked to rainfall events in summer. The vine on soil B kept the less negative values of water potential in relation to the very deep root development which was observed in this light and well-drained sandy material. The vine on soil A had a high water uptake during the period of shoot development, but showed a significant reduction of water availability in august. The most progressive regulation of water uptake was observed on soil C, and could be attributed to the elongation of roots with shrinking during summer in the deep c1ayey horizons. The water behaviour variability was mainly linked both to textural and structural soil properties intluencing soil water retention, aeration, and rooting development. The longest shoots were observed in soil (A) where the elongation speed was the highest. On soil (B) shoot elongation was signiticantly reduced, although water supply was the highest. This was attributed to a low nutrient availability in this very sandy soil. The elongation speed in site (D) was rather chaotic, and was related to marked variations in water supply. The lowest shoot elongation was observed in the shallow planosol (C). Preliminary results on grape quality are showed, and seem to be consistent with these behaviours.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">These results are consistent with previous studies on various vines of the Bordeaux region which have already shown that various soil properties might induce a control on water behaviour in soil and thus might result in similar consequencies for water availability for vines. The discussion points out the important role played by water uptake control mechanisms on vintage quality in this area.</p>

The use of seedling leaf death score for evaluation of drought resistance of rice

Leaf death (drought score) of seedlings has been extensively used in rice breeding programs as a selection index for drought resistance. This paper investigates the factors that affect the drought score of rice cultivars exposed to water stress during the vegetative stage and the relationship between drought score and yield. Two upland experiments consisting of 21 and 8 cultivars, respectively, were subjected to water deficit during vegetative growth. In the first experiment, the plants were grown under three stress conditions and pre-dawn leaf water potential, epidermal conductance, canopy light interception and drought score were determined during the stress period. In the second experiment leaf area, water use, dry matter growth and grain yield were also examined. Large genotypic variation in plant size existed in both experiments and this affected development of water stress and drought score. The cultivars with large plant size tended to have high drought score. A significant positive correlation ( r = 0.74∗∗, n = 63) existed between drought score and light interception. However, analysis of covariance indicated that genotypic variation in drought score existed after the effect of plant size was taken into account. Significant genotypic variation in leaf water potential existed and this was negatively correlated with drought score ( r = 0.75∗∗, n = 42). Cultivars with large leaf area tended to lose more green leaves during the stress period, but this did not result in reduced dry matter growth during or after the stress period. Green leaf area remaining after the stress period, and not amount of dead leaf (drought score) determined subsequent dry matter growth ( r = 0.45∗∗, n = 32), and there was no correlation between drought score of seedlings and grain yield. Thus for use in a vegetative screening program for drought resistance, estimates of drought score should be accompanied by estimates of plant size.