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Title: Relation of Spectral and Physiological Properties to Leaf Structural Characteristics of Arsenic Treated Rice Plants

Author
item BANDRU, VARAPRASAD - UNIV DELAWARE, NEWARK
item HANSEN, DAVID - UNIV DELAWARE, NEWARK
item Codling, Eton
item Daughtry, Craig
item Green, Carrie

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/17/2007
Publication Date: 11/5/2007
Citation: Bandru, V., Hansen, D., Codling, E.E., Daughtry, C.S., Green, C.E. 2007. Relation of Spectral and Physiological Properties to Leaf Structural Characteristics of Arsenic Treated Rice Plants. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary: .

Technical Abstract: Arsenic (As) is a widely spread soil contaminant which can cause toxicity in plants. Although many studies have investigated the spectral characteristics of affected plants, the extent to which different toxicities may result in correspondingly different spectral signatures has received little attention. Quantitative analyses of structural changes in the arrangement of mesophyll and their relationship with spectral and physiological changes may help to identify spectral signatures related to arsenic stress. The objectives of this study are to identify spectral and physiological changes caused by arsenic toxicity and to relate these changes to leaf internal structure. Hydroponically-grown rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Jefferson) was treated with 0, 5, 10 and 15 umol L-1 As (0, 0.37, 0.72 and 1.12 mg As L-1) for 8 weeks in a growth chamber. Spectral properties of leaves were obtained for visible and infrared frequencies. Physiological properties such as net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance were measured. Structural characteristics measured in this experiment were leaf thickness, the ratio of palisade mesophyll to spongy mesophyll thickness, the proportion of the mesophyll occupied by intercellular air spaces (IAS), and the ratio of mesophyll cell surface area exposed to IAS per unit leaf surface area.