Improving stomatal functioning at elevated growth air humidity: A review.

Area of Science:

• Plant Physiology
• Environmental Stress Biology
• Horticultural Science

Background:

• Plants cultivated at high relative air humidity (RH≥85%) exhibit reduced survival rates when exposed to high evaporative demand.
• This vulnerability is linked to increased cuticular permeability, altered leaf anatomy, impaired rehydration, and compromised stomatal closure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze strategies that enhance stomatal functioning in plants developed under high RH conditions.
• To identify methods for improving plant tolerance to drought stress after high humidity cultivation.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on plant responses to high RH and subsequent environmental shifts.
• Analysis of breeding strategies, belowground interventions (water deficit, salinity, nutrient culture, grafting), and aerial environment manipulations (light, air movement, temperature, abscisic acid).

Main Results:

• Strategies to improve stomatal function include breeding tolerant cultivars and modifying the belowground (water deficit, salinity, grafting) and aerial environments (blue light, air movement, temperature, ABA application).
• Root hypoxia, mechanical disturbance, and ABA-related treatments are also identified as beneficial for stomatal function.

Conclusions:

• Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in mediating genotypic and phenotypic differences in stomatal function after high RH cultivation.
• Implementing targeted strategies can significantly improve plant resilience and survival when transitioning from high humidity to high evaporative demand environments.