The Pneumatron: An automated pneumatic apparatus for estimating xylem vulnerability to embolism at high temporal resolutionKey-words

Author(s):Show less -

Pereira, Luciano ^{[1, 2]} ; Bittencourt, Paulo R. L. ; Pacheco, Vinicius S. ^[3] ; Miranda, Marcela T. ^[3] ; Zhang, Ya ; Oliveira, Rafael S. ; Groenendijk, Peter ; Machado, Eduardo C. ^[1] ; Tyree, Melvin T. ^[4] ; Jansen, Steven ^[5] ; Rowland, Lucy ^[6] ; Ribeiro, Rafael V. ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Agron Inst IAC, Ctr R&D Ecophysiol & Biophys, Lab Plant Physiol Coaracy M Franco, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Campinas UNICAMP, Dept Plant Biol, Inst Biol, Lab Crop Physiol, POB 6109, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Plant Biol, POB 6109, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[4] Zhejiang Normal Univ, Coll Chem & Life Sci, Jinhua 321004, Zhejiang - Peoples R China

^[5] Univ Ulm, Inst Systemat Bot & Ecol, D-89081 Ulm - Germany

^[6] Univ Exeter, Coll Life & Environm Sci, Exeter, Devon - England

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT; v. 43, n. 1, p. 131-142, JAN 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Xylem vulnerability to embolism represents an important trait to determine species distribution patterns and drought resistance. However, estimating embolism resistance frequently requires time-consuming and ambiguous hydraulic lab measurements. Based on a recently developed pneumatic method, we present and test the ``Pneumatron{''}, a device that generates high time-resolution and fully automated vulnerability curves. Embolism resistance is estimated by applying a partial vacuum to extract air from an excised xylem sample, while monitoring the pressure change over time. Although the amount of gas extracted is strongly correlated with the percentage loss of xylem conductivity, validation of the Pneumatron was performed by comparison with the optical method for Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves. The Pneumatron improved the precision of the pneumatic method considerably, facilitating the detection of small differences in the (percentage of air discharged {[}PAD] < 0.47%). Hence, the Pneumatron can directly measure the 50% PAD without any fitting of vulnerability curves. PAD and embolism frequency based on the optical method were strongly correlated (r(2) = 0.93) for E. camaldulensis. By providing an open source platform, the Pneumatron represents an easy, low-cost, and powerful tool for field measurements, which can significantly improve our understanding of plant-water relations and the mechanisms behind embolism. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/09834-5 - Vulnerability to embolism in citrus species: hydraulic characteristics, seasonal variation and relationships between canopy and rootstock
• Grantee: Marcela Trevenzoli Miranda
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 17/14075-3 - New methods to study xylem hydraulic properties and embolism in vivo in plants
• Grantee: Luciano Pereira
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/01847-0 - DendroGrad: Tree-rings, wood anatomy and hydraulic traits do evaluate long-term CO2-fertilisation effects across environmental gradients on three tropical tree species
• Grantee: Peter Stoltenborg Groenendyk
• Support type: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/07773-1 - Restoring neo-tropical dry ecosystems - is plant functional composition the key to success?
• Grantee: Rafael Silva Oliveira
• Support type: Research Projects - Thematic Grants