Hydraulic tradeoffs underlie enhanced performance of polyploid trees under soil water deficit

Abstract

The relationships between aerial organ morpho-anatomy of woody polyploid plants with their functional hydraulics under water stress remain largely understudied. We evaluated growth-associated traits, aerial organ xylem anatomy, and physiological parameters of diploid, triploid, and tetraploid genotypes of atemoyas (Annona cherimola x Annona squamosa), which belong to the woody perennial genus Annona (Annonaceae), testing their performance under long-term soil water reduction. The contrasting phenotypes of vigorous triploids and dwarf tetraploids consistently showed stomatal size-density trade-off. The vessel elements in aerial organs were ∼1.5 times wider in polyploids compared with diploids, and triploids displayed the lowest vessel density. Plant hydraulic conductance was higher in well-irrigated diploids while their tolerance to drought was lower. The phenotypic disparity of atemoya polyploids associated with contrasting leaf and stem xylem porosity traits that coordinate to regulate water balances between the trees and the belowground and aboveground environments. Polyploid trees displayed better performance under soil water scarcity, presenting as more sustainable agricultural and forestry genotypes to cope with water stress.

Effects of Potassium Application on Growth and Root Metabolism of Salvia miltiorrhiza under Drought Stress

“…Moisture stress is the main abiotic factor affecting crop productivity, which impacts plant growth and yield [27]. Drought stress disrupts plant cell membranes and nuclei, and affects the plant water balance, which inhibits leaf and root growth [28]. In this study, we investigated the effect of potassium application at different moisture levels on the physiological characteristics of S. miltiorrhiza.…”

Foliar Pectins and Physiology of Diploid and Autotetraploid Mango Genotypes under Water Stress

“…The size-density trade-off reflected in lower stomatal conductance has previously been observed in other plant species, both in herbaceous grasses [32] and perennial trees [33,34] and has been associated with higher water use efficiency in polyploids. The question remains whether lower conductance could be a predictor of drought tolerance, as reported for crops with lower stomatal densities [35][36][37], although some triploid trees have been shown to have increased stomatal conductance yet reduced internal water use efficiency [8,38,39]. Due to the low availability of polyploid genotypes of mango, in this work, we subjected one mango tree from each ploidy to scenarios of water deficit, suppressing supplemental irrigation for two years in a Mediterranean climate with extremely dry summers.…”

PeMYB26, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, positively regulates Lignin deposition in Moso bamboo

“…Because xylem is the main tissue involved in long-distance water transport in plants, its anatomical structure is highly related to plant drought tolerance (Weithmann et al 2022; Lens et al 2022). In Atemoyas (Annona cherimola × Annona squamosa), the presence of wider xylem cells and larger vessel elements results in better performance when soil water is scarce (Losada et al 2023). Genes involved in drought responses are likely to affect the development of the vascular system.…”