It is of great ecological significance to explore the water limitation of plant growth from the aspect of water transport capacity. CD BioSciences is committed to developing new technologies and methods to provide measurement services for basic indicators of leaf hydraulic traits. We have the confidence to provide essential technical support for customers to study leaf hydraulics and its role in plant performance and drought tolerance.

Background

Leaf hydraulic traits are used to characterize water transport in leaves, which can limit water transport throughout the plant and affect the plant's gas exchange and its response to drought. Leaf hydraulic traits are determined by a combination of the external environment, stomatal water loss and the water supply of the vascular network. Given the importance of hydraulic physiology in explaining plant growth and drought tolerance, research on leaf hydraulics has been the research focus of the plant-water relationship.

Leaf hydraulic traits characterize the survival strategies developed by leaves in terms of water transfer to adapt to the external environment and can be expressed by a range of indicators. K_leaf is the most intuitive indicator of leaf hydraulic traits and is an overview of the complex transport processes within the leaf, reflecting the magnitude of resistance to water transport and the effectiveness of the leaf vein structure. The study of leaf water transport and its decline during drought, with a focus on key measures of water movement capacity (K_leaf) is essential for understanding leaf water transport and its role in plant performance and drought tolerance.

Fig.1 Leaf vascular pathway and regulation of water transport. (Prado, 2013)

Our Services

We focus on providing our customers with services to measure basic indicators of leaf hydraulic traits. The services we offer include but are not limited to:

• Measurement of whole-leaf water transport.
  We offer a variety of techniques for measuring K_leaf at the whole-leaf level, including the evaporative flux method (EFM), the high-pressure flowmeter method (HPFM), the vacuum pump method (VPM) and the rehydration kinetics method (RKM).
• Measurement of whole-leaf hydraulic conductance (K_leaf).
• Measurement of leaf xylem hydraulic conductance (K_xylem).
• Measurement of leaf out the xylem hydraulic conductance(K_out-xylem).
• Measurement of leaf hydraulic conductivity responses to irradiance and dehydration.
• Measurement of leaf hydraulic conductivity for hydrated leaves (K_max).
• Measurement of leaf hydraulic conductivity of dehydrated leaves.
• Analysis of leaf hydraulic conductance in relation to leaf structure/function.
  We offer our customers services for measuring the leaf hydraulic traits, water storage and leaf shape. In addition, we combine knowledge of physics, anatomy, modeling and ecology to help clients analyze the effects of leaf mechanics on plant structure and function.

Our Advantages

• The serious and rigorous working attitude
• Comprehensive biophysical analysis platforms
• Detailed after-sales service

As a biotechnology company specializing in biophysical analysis, CD BioSciences is well placed to provide efficient technical support to help clients analyze the hydraulics of leaves. We offer flexibility and can adapt quickly to suit the changing needs of our clients. If you are interested in our services, please contact us for more information.

Reference

1. Prado, K.; Maurel, C. Regulation of leaf hydraulics: from molecular to whole plant levels. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2013, 4: 255.

• Mechanical Analysis of Leaf Growth on Large Scales
• Mechanical Analysis of Twisted Growth in Plant Roots
• Structural Characterization of Tension Wood
• Imaging of Plant Morphogenesis
• Quantification of Plant Morphogenesis
• Modeling of Plant Morphogenesis
• Analysis of Hygromechanical Behavior of Wood