Plant Responses and Control of Water Balance

Water Deficits and Plant Growth, Volume III: Plant Responses and Control of Water Balance focuses on the influence of water deficits on shrinkage of plant tissues, seed germination, reproductive growth, and internal plant responses such as protoplasmic resistance to desiccation, enzymatic activity, nitrogen metabolism, hormonal relations, and mineral nutrition. This book also considers alleviation and control of water deficits in plants.
This volume is organized into 10 chapters and begins with an overview of shrinkage and swelling in plant tissues and their biological implications, along with some basic aspects of seed germination and environmental factors affecting germination as well as its relation to soil moisture. The discussion then shifts to the impact of water deficits on growth of fruits at different stages of development, from flowering to fruit ripening, and the ability of the protoplasm to survive a serious reduction in water content (known as protoplasmic resistance). The following chapters explore the effects of water deficits on enzyme activity, nutrient availability, nitrogen metabolism, and hormonal distribution in plants. This book also looks at transpiration in plants and how to reduce it, and then concludes with a chapter on soil water conservation as a problem of management of available water resources in the context of agriculture. This book is a valuable resource for scientists and investigators in fields such as botany, plant pathology, forestry, and agriculture.

List of Contributors Preface Contents of Other Volumes

1. Shrinking and Swelling of Plant Tissues I. Introduction II. Vegetative Tissues III. Reproductive Tissues IV. Measurement of Shrinkage and Swelling V. Biological Implications of Shrinkage and Swelling of Plants References
2. Soil Moisture and Seed Germination I. Introduction II. Some Basic Aspects of Germination III. Several Environmental Factors Affecting Germination IV. Moisture Relations of Germination V. Control Measures References
3. Water Deficits and Reproductive Growth I. Introduction II. Water Deficits and Growth of Fruits at Different Stages of Development III. Factors Affecting the Water Relations of Fruits IV. Fruit Disorders Related to Water References
4. Protoplasmic Resistance to Water Deficits I. Introduction II. Desiccation Effects on Protoplasm III. Natural Mechanisms of Protoplasmic Resistance IV. Conclusions References
5. Water Deficits and Enzymatic Activity I. Introduction II. Effect of Water Deficits on Enzyme Activity Found in the "Soluble" Fraction III. Effect of Water Deficits on Organelle Processes or Multiple Enzyme Systems IV. Enzyme Action at Very Low Moisture Contents V. State of Enzymes in Organs or Organisms That Can Be Air Dried or Subjected to Very High Water Deficits VI. Denaturation of Enzymes at Low Water Contents VII. Hydration of Macromolecules VIII. Drying of Purified and Crystalline Enzymes IX. Conclusions References
6. Water Deficits and Nutrient Availability I. Introduction II. The Importance of Water to Nutrition III. Water Deficit and Nutrient Transport to the Root IV. Nutrient Absorption at Controlled Soil Water Suction V. Nutrient Availability as Affected by the Soil Water Regime VI. The Changing Water and Nutrient Availability Patterns in the Field VII. The Significance of Lower Nutrient Availability Associated with Drought VIII. Conclu