Leaf temperature impacts canopy water use efficiency independent of changes in leaf level water use efficiency

Canopy water use efficiency (above-ground biomass over lifetime water loss, WUEcanopy) can influence yield in wheat and other crops. Breeding for WUEcanopy is difficult because it is influenced by many component traits. For example, intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi), the ratio of net carbon assimilation (A(net)) over stomatal conductance, contributes to WUEcanopy and can be estimated from carbon isotope discrimination (Delta). However, Delta is not sensitive to differences in the water vapor pressure deficit between the air and leaf (VPDleaf). Alternatively, measurements of instantaneous leaf water use efficiency (WUEleaf) are defined as A(net) over transpiration and can be determined with gas exchange, but the dynamic nature of field conditions are not represented. Specifically, fluctuations in canopy temperature lead to changes in VPDleaf that impact transpiration but not Anet. This alters WUEleaf and in turn affects WUEcanopy. To test this relationship, WUEcanopy was measured in conjunction with WUEi, WUEcanopy, and canopy temperature under well-watered and water-limited conditions in two drought-tolerant wheat cultivars that differ in canopy architecture. In this experiment, boundary layer conductance was low and significant changes in leaf temperature occurred between cultivars and treatments that correlated with WUEcanopy likely because of the effect of canopy temperature on VPDleaf driving T. However, deviations between WUEi, WUEleaf, and WUEcanopy were present because measurements made at the leaf level do not account for variations in leaf temperature. This uncoupled the relationship of measured WUEleaf and WUEi from WUEcanopy and emphasizes the importance of canopy temperature on carbon uptake and transpired water loss.

Automated summary

Canopy water use efficiency (WUEcanopy) can impact crop yield but is influenced by various component traits. Intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi) and leaf water use efficiency affect WUEcanopy, but measurements of leaf water use efficiency should consider environmental variations.