The Impacts of Water Stressors on Cocoa Plants in Trinidad and Tobago

The Impacts of Water Stressors on Cocoa Plants in Trinidad and Tobago

1. What measures can be taken to prevent cocoa plants from becoming water stressed?

   • Effective plant water management

2. Why do cocoa plants experience water stress?

   • Water supply to their roots become limiting
   • Transpiration rate becomes intense

3. How are cocoa plants water stressed?

   • High soil salinity
   • Drought
   • Flooding

4. How does cocoa plants respond to water stress conditions?

   • Physiological responses
     • Loss of turgor and osmotic adjustment
     • Decrease in stomatal conductance to CO2
     • Reduced leaf water potential
     • Reduced growth rates
     • Decline in net photosynthesis
     • Deprivation of O2 in the root zone
   • Biochemical responses
     • Transient decrease in photochemical efficiency
     • Reduced ROS accumalation
   • Molecular responses
     • Drought tolerance stress
     • Expression of ABA responsive genes

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