Anatomical variations along the leaf axis modulate photosynthetic responses of sorghum and maize under different water availabilities.

ABSTRACT: Water limitation leads to alterations in plants, including tolerance responses. Maize and sorghum are both C4 crops with contrasting drought tolerance, where several aspects of leaf anatomy and physiology are unclear. This work aimed to investigate the effect of drought on anatomical and photosynthetic traits along the leaf axis of maize and sorghum. Experiments were conducted in a greenhouse with maize and sorghum exposed to three irrigation conditions (field capacity (FC), 75% FC, and 50% FC). Three leaf regions (base, middle, and tip) were assessed for photosynthetic and anatomical parameters. Water limitation promoted reductions in maize leaves in terms of water-use efficiency, leaf thickness, xylem vessel diameter, and area of the bundle sheath; however, sorghum leaves increased these

SUBMITTER: de Oliveira JPV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12631521 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature