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Canny's compensating pressure theory fails a test.

V Stiller1, J S Sperry

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112.

American Journal of Botany
|August 17, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Canny's compensating pressure theory for plant water transport was disproven. Experiments showed xylem pressure drops below -1.5 MPa without hydraulic conductivity loss, refuting the theory.

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Area of Science:

  • Plant Physiology
  • Xylem Water Transport

Background:

  • Canny's compensating pressure theory posits cavitation occurs at -0.3 MPa.
  • Vulnerability curves suggest some species tolerate xylem pressures below -3 MPa without hydraulic conductivity loss.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test Canny's compensating pressure theory for plant water transport.
  • To investigate the role of turgor pressure in refilling cavitated xylem conduits.

Main Methods:

  • Compared vulnerability curves of *Betula nigra* stems under three treatments: living control, microwaved (killed), and mannitol-perfused (-1.5 MPa).
  • Assessed refilling rates in living and killed stems to evaluate compensating pressure's role.

Main Results:

  • All vulnerability curves were identical, showing a -1.5 MPa threshold before significant hydraulic conductivity loss.
  • Killed and living stems exhibited equally slow refilling rates, with no significant conductivity increase within 30 minutes.

Conclusions:

  • Experimental results failed to support Canny's compensating pressure theory.
  • The cohesion theory remains the most parsimonious explanation for xylem sap ascent in plants.

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