A comparative analysis of transpiration response to atmospheric increasing vapor pressure deficit conditions in cereal crops

Abstract

Plant adaptation to drought depends on both inherited and adaptive characteristic of water conservative traits. Expression of limited transpiration rate (TR) under high vapor pressure deficit (VPD) conditions could be one of the potential sources of soil water conservation for drought tolerance. Large genetic variation for limited TR has been identified in the comparison of three major C4cereals viz.,maize, pearl millet and sorghum under elevating VPD. The total amount of water transpired under elevating VPD by these three cereals not found dependent on leaf area, in fact, it was reflected more by the variation in transpiration rate. Pearl millet showed better adaptation of limitation of TR than maize and sorghum under high VPD regimes