Leaf hydraulic conductance is coordinated with leaf morpho-anatomical traits and nitrogen status in the genus Oryza

Leaf hydraulic conductance (K-leaf) is a major determinant of photosynthetic rate in plants. Previous work has assessed the relationships between leaf morpho-anatomical traits and K-leaf with woody species, but there has been very little focus on cereal crops. The genus Oryza, which includes rice (Oryza sativa) and wild species (such as O. rufipogon cv. Griff), is ideal material for identifying leaf features associated with K-leaf and gas exchange. Leaf morpho-anatomical traits, K-leaf, leaf N content per leaf area, and CO2 diffusion efficiency were investigated in 11 Oryza cultivars. K-leaf was positively correlated with leaf thickness and related traits, and therefore positively correlated with leaf mass per area and leaf N content per leaf area, and negatively with inter-veinal distance. K-leaf was also positively correlated with leaf area and its related traits, and therefore negatively correlated with the proportion of minor vein length per area. In addition, coordination between K-leaf and CO2 diffusion conductance in leaves was observed. We conclude that leaf morpho-anatomical traits and N content per leaf area strongly influence K-leaf. Our results suggest that more detailed anatomical and structural studies are needed to elucidate the impacts of leaf feature traits on K-leaf and gas exchange in grasses.