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Two Beta Sources Compared for Evaluating Water Status of Plants 1
Author(s) -
Rolston D. E.,
Horton M. L.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1968.00021962006000040001x
Subject(s) - hordeum vulgare , sorghum , turgor pressure , water stress , agronomy , chemistry , botany , horticulture , poaceae , biology
Two sources of beta radiation, carbon‐14 (C 14 ) and promethium‐147 (Pm 147 ), were investigated for determination of leaf water content of three plant species over a range of water stress conditions. The plant species used were soybean ( Glycine max L.), sorghum ( Sorghum vulgare L.), and barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.). Results obtained with both sources gave high correlations of relative turgidity with attenuated radiation. However, for relative turgidities above 60% in the plants studied, higher correlation coefficients were obtained using the C 14 source. Results indicated that the C 14 method appeared to be more sensitive to small changes in relative turgidity than was the Pm 147 method. Leaf disc sections taken from sorghum and barley leaves gave more uniform response to water stress changes than did whole leaves.