Problems Associated with Measuring Plant Water Status

Abstract

The water status of plant cells affects physiological and metabolic activities as well as expansion and growth. Accurate measurements of plant water status are essential for a better understanding of productivity under various environmental conditions. Numerous measurement techniques have proven useful for improving our un- derstanding of how plants respond to water deficits. It is beyond the scope of this presentation to describe all of the methods used for measuring plant water status or to fully address all problems associated with even the most common methods. Rather, the pur- pose of this paper is to discuss some advantages, disadvantages, and problems associated with the more commonly used techniques. I hope that pointing out potential errors and necessary precautions will challenge readers to review the excellent published papers deal- ing with specific topics. References cited herein represent only a small fraction of the papers that address the measurement of plant water status but will serve to illustrate the breadth of the literature.