| The focus of this study was to examine the influence of moisture availability on the photochemistry, growth, and development of wild blueberry. The scope of the project encompassed two major experiments. One was a computer-controlled environment chamber experiment conducted at the Dept. of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont. The other was a two-year field study performed at the Nova Scotia Wild Blueberry Institute (NSWBI), Debert, N.S. In the controlled environment study, four computer controlled growth chambers were used and the parameters of water potential, transpiration, and net carbon exchange rate (LACER) were measured. The design of the experiment was a randomized complete block design using the chambers as the blocking factor. The treatments included a control that was watered every morning and a drought stressed treatment that was watered the first and last days only. Re-watering of the plants occurred at approximately hour 116, where the control plants displayed a soil moisture value of 75.0% (v/v) while the drought treatment plants had decreased by at least one-quarter of the starting values and were at 50.0%. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
