ISHS Acta Horticulturae 440: International Symposium on Plant Production in Closed Ecosystems
THE EFFECTS OF KAOLIN CLAY ON CUTICLE TRANSPIRATION IN TOMATO |
| Authors: | A. Nakano, Y. Uehara |
| Keywords: | cuticle transpiration, kaolin, tomato, water stress |
| Abstract:
Although kaolin has only been used as an antitranspirant so far, we found it enhances water loss from detached leaves, fruits and intact plants of tomato. It has effects which are both identical and different from other organic compounds. The fine powder of kaolin must absorb the slight amount of water on plant surface and make its transpiration increase, because transpiration is enhanced by suspension and insoluble solid fraction not but soluble fraction. We also found that kaolin enhances water loss from leaves without regard to adaxial or abaxial surfaces, even though they have different stomatal density. These results suggest kaolin enhances cuticle transpiration not but transpiration via stomata. In intact plants, kaolin also affects the water status of leaves planted in a low osmotic potential culture solution. The higher the culture solution potential is, the more kaolin reduces water in leaves. Kaolin also enhances water loss from fruit, even though fruits have few if any stomata on its surface. Therefore we concluded that transpiration enhancement by kaolin clay is the result of enhancement of cuticle transpiration. | |
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