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27 - Determination of the amount of apoplastic water and other water relations parameters in conifer needles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2010

K. Gross
Affiliation:
Institute of Silviculture, Univ. of Freiburg, Bertoldstr. 17, D-7800 Freiburg
W. Koch
Affiliation:
Institute of Forest Botany, Univ. of München, Amalienstr. 52, D-8000 München 40, Germany.
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Summary

SUMMARY

A method for determining the amount of needle apoplastic water and bulk osmotic pressure in the symplast of spruce needles (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) is presented. The method is based upon a combined use of the pressure volume analysis of whole shoots and microcryoscopy of sap pressed from needles after being frozen in liquid nitrogen.

INTRODUCTION

Pressure-volume (PV) analysis (Tyree & Hammel, 1972) enables the determination of several plant water relations parameters. The measured values are “bulk tissue averages”, which characterize the plant tissues better when they are uniform {i.e. only leaves). In plant species with small leaves, for example conifers, PV analysis can only be performed on shoots which consist of leaves, wood and bark. The resultant water relation parameters then represent a complex tissue; this can be disadvantageous in studying the physiology of leaves or other plant parts.

Through the combined use of PV analysis of spruce shoots and capillary microcryoscopy of sap pressed from needles, determinations of the most important water relations parameters, needle apoplastic water content and bulk osmotic pressure in the needle symplast, were possible.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pressure-volume analysis

In late summer 1987, water potential isotherms from different sized shoots of a 25-year-old, 16 meter tall Norway Spruce {Picea abies [L.] Karst.) were generated (Gross & Koch, 1991a). The sample shoots were kept in a temperature regulated pressure chamber during the entire experiment (Gross & Pham-Nguyen, 1987) and were dehydrated through stepwise increases in pressure. From the water potential isotherms, the bulk osmotic pressure at full turgor (π0), and the bulk osmotic pressure when turgor initially reaches zero (πp), the amount of symplastic (Wo) and apoplastic (Wa) water was determined.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1993

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