Files
Abstract
As a consequence of photosynthesis, plants lose water rapidly via transpiration. However, transpiration may benefit the plant by facilitating nutrient uptake and transport through the xylem. The objective of this experiment was to study the possible relationship between transpiration and nitrogen uptake. Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) were grown in growth chambers with differing vapor pressure deficits (VPD, 1.20 kPa and 1.98 kPa) to modify their transpiration rates. They were also supplied different levels of nutrient (2.23 g and 1.115 g fertilizer/week) to study the effect of transpiration on the growth of nitrogen-deficient plants. Plants were sampled every 21 days for a total of four harvests. High fertility had a positive effect on nitrogen uptake and plant growth, whereas high VPD and higher transpiration essentially had no effect, demonstrating that plants may transpire less without suffering detrimental effects towards nutrient status and growth even under low nutrient conditions.