USE OF ANTITRANSPIRANTS UNDER LOW-LIGHT ENVIRONMENTS TO CONTROL TRANSPIRATION OF EPIPREMNUM-AUREUM LEAVES Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of antitranspirants in controlling transpiration and reducing water use from foliage plants in low-light environments. Excised Epipremnum aureum (Linden and Andre) Bunt. leaves were treated in a controlled environment with different chemicals at various concentrations. Benzyladenine (BA) increased stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. Abscisic acid (ABA), phenylmercuric acetate (PMA), -hydroxysulfonates (HDSA), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate (HQS) reduced stomatal conductance and transpiration rates. Abscisic acid and PMA treatments were most effective in lowering stomatal conductance and transpiration rate, but PMA caused leaf burn at concentrations > 10-5 M. The leaves treated with ABA showed a fluctuation of transpiration rate during light and dark cycles, but the leaves treated with ABA and kept in continuous darkness did not show a fluctuation of transpiration rate over 24-h cycles. Water loss in foliage plants mainly occurs through the stomata, and therefore it is possible to use chemical antitranspirants to reduce total water use under low-light environments. 1990.

published proceedings

  • SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE

author list (cited authors)

  • RAJAPAKSE, N. C., KELLY, J. W., & REED, D. W.

citation count

  • 1

complete list of authors

  • RAJAPAKSE, NC||KELLY, JW||REED, DW

publication date

  • July 1990