Water Loss via the Glandular Trichomes of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

During late vegetative growth chickpea leaves and stems canbe covered with aqueous glandular droplets. If these dropletspersist at low humidities there may be substantial water lossvia the glandular trichomes Four solution culture experimentsin growth chambers tested for glandular water loss at differenthumidities. In the daytime, exudate persisted between relativehumidities of 55% and 95%, and the exudate water potential variedbetween - 2.0 M Pa and - 8.0 M Pa. Even by night, chickpea leaves,like wetted alfalfa leaves, were cooler than non-wetted alfalfaleaves or the ambient air. Daytime leaf temperatures were significantlyhigher in a mutant that produced fewer droplets than in itsnormal parent. It was concluded that water loss via the glandulartrichomes can be enough to lower leaf temperature by severaldegrees C within a wide range of atmospheric conditions. The exudate solutes, analysed to confirm the osmotic potentialmeasurements, were primarily malic, hydrochloric and oxalicacid. Without the strong acids a chickpea leaf, wet even ondry days, would be ripe for parasitic attack. Key words: Add exudate, leaf hairs, transpiration, leaf temperature