Techniques for Measuring Plant Water

Abstract

Abstract The importance of water to plant growth is well-recognized (13, 35, 37, 48, 49, 50, 58, 63, 80, 97, 130, 141, 143, 160) and has been studied for over 300 years (62, 106). Despite this long history, relatively little is known about the specific water requirement for most horticultural crops. Water requirement is the minimum amount of water required to provide optimal yield. The amount required is determined by the type of yield, the critical limits of deficiency relative to yield, the limits of tolerable yield reduction, the size and permeability of the plant’s evaporative surface, the plant’s growth stage, and the environmental factors affecting growth and transpiration. Actual water requirement therefore is defined by a combination of human motivations, plant physiological responses, and physical environmental factors.