The Apparent Behaviour of Maize and Sorghum Stomata During and After Drought

Abstract

Maize stomata are shown to be markedly affected by severe drought lasting about a week or more, in that they do not recover their apparent pattern of normal behavior after the water supply to the plant is restored, although the leaves regain their turgidity and seem normal. On the other hand, sorghum stomata recover well from severe drought lasting 14 days and their recovery follows fairly closely behind the restoration of turgidity to the leaves. It is suggested that this difference in ability of stomata to recover from severe drought in some measure accounts for the superiority of sorghum as a grain crop in dry regions. Severe drought in maize is shown to be less damaging to the young plant than to the old, because the stomata of the unopened leaves behave normally when unfolded after the drought is broken.