Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

We are requesting a device for measuring the physiological performance of plants. The equipment can be used in a laboratory setting or transported to natural or agricultural fields for use. By clamping a leaf or other plant part in a small chamber, the device measures the exchange of water and gasses. These measurements will tell us how well the plant is photosynthesizing, how much it is respiring and how much water it is losing in any given situation. A separate function measures the fluorescence of chlorophyll while it photosynthesizes. This fluorescence can give an indication of how much stress the plant is experiencing. By knowing all these measures from individual plants, we will be able to deduce how a plant allocates and uses its resources, such as sugars and amino acids, among its component organs. It can also give us insight into why different populations of plants will change or determine their developmental processes. This includes how much plants invest in roots, leaves or seeds. Knowing this, we will better understand what limits reproductive effort in wild plants or seed yield in agricultural crops. This information will also reveal how patterns of resource allocation vary in response to key aspects of plant life histories (e.g., clonality, sex allocation), and in turn, provide insights into the evolution of plant life-history strategies.