IIT Guwahati study reveals how plants adapt their internal water transport system during drought

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology IIT Guwahati have studied the ways in which plants plumbing systems behave when subjected to droughtinduced water stressA plumbing system in plants allows water and nutrients to be transported within them which helps in plant growth The findings of the research have been published in the prestigious Applied Physics Reviews journalAccording to the institute the stem of a plant contains microtubes called xylem which carry water from the roots to the leaves These microtubes are interconnected through tiny openings called pits The pits ensure that water and other nutrients move smoothly with no blockagesScientists worldwide are trying to understand how these xylem vessels behave during times of drought but have not made much progress Computational modelling studies treated these xylem as rigid pipes and thus could not accurately show how plants adjust during times of water shortageTo bridge this knowledge gap Pranab Kumar Mondal Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering IIT Guwahati along with his research team combined experimental studies with realistic 3D computer simulationsThe team experimentally measured the changes in dimensions mechanical strength and wall characteristics of the system as well as the changes to the pit openings during times of water stressWe studied the stems of the Indian mustard plant using advanced imaging microscopic force measurements and chemical tracking We then precisely mapped how drought alters the xylem in terms of wall elasticity and fluid movementThese measurements were used to build realistic 3D models These models showed how plants reorient their xylem to optimise water transport during drought Mondal said in a statementThe research showed that in times of acute water shortages the microtubes within the plants become narrower and the pits become smaller which increases resistance to fluid flow within the plant Thus water does not move easily up the stemThis prevents loss of water through transpiration at the top of the plant Additionally the researchers found that in this process water starts flowing sideways across the pits maintaining water balance within the plant and preventing the breakdown of the tube networkThis research will help us better understand how plants survive under waterscarce conditions In the future these insights may help scientists develop crop varieties that are more droughttolerant and can use water more efficientlySuch knowledge could contribute to more sustainable agriculture and help maintain crop productivity in the face of climate change he saidThe findings of this research can help scientists breed crop varieties that are more resistant to drought These findings can also help farmers protect crops during water shortages reduce losses and support agricultural productivity in regions affected by changing climate conditionsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever