Relative humidity- and ABA-induced variation in carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of cotton leaves

Abstract

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. CS50) plants were grown at two levels of relative humidity (RH) and sprayed daily with abscisic acid (ABA) at four concentrations. Plants grown at lower humidity had higher transpiration rates, lower leaf temperatures and lower stomatal conductance. Plant biomass was also reduced at low humidity. Within each humidity environment, increasing ABA concentration generally reduced stomatal conductance, evaporation rates, superficial leaf density and plant biomass, and increased leaf temperature and specific leaf area. As expected, decreased stomatal conductance resulted in decreased carbon isotope discrimination in leaf material (Δ13C1). Plants grown at low humidity were more enriched in 18O than those grown at high RH, as theory predicts. Within each humidity environment, increasing ABA concentration increased oxygen isotope enrichment of leaf cellulose (Δ18O(c)) and whole-leaf tissue (Δ18O1). Values of Δ13C1 and Δ18O1 predicted by theoretical models were close to those observed, accounting for 79% of the measured variation in Δ13C1 and 95% of the measured variation in Δ18O1. Supporting theory, Δ13C1 and Δ18O1 in whole-leaf tissue were negatively related. Show more