The potential of antitranspirants in drought management of arable crops: A review

Wiza Mphande, Peter S. Kettlewell, Ivan G. Grove and Aidan D. Farrell

Agricultural Water Management, 2020, vol. 236, issue C

Abstract: About 80 % of global farmland is under rain-fed conditions and most of it is prone to drought, which limits crop productivity. Due to climate change, drought will become more frequent and severe, threatening world food security. Antitranspirants, materials that reduce transpiration, could potentially result in greater food production by realising more of a crop’s potential yield during drought. Despite antitranspirants reducing photosynthesis, research has shown that they can mitigate drought stress and increase grain yield. Although this paper is not restricted to specific years, part of it is a systematic review of 173 original research articles published between 2009 and 2018. Overall, the analysis suggests that interest in the potential of antitranspirants is growing. One major achievement in antitranspirant research during the past decade was establishing the optimal timing of application of the substances, which is linked to reproductive processes most vulnerable to drought. Despite research evidence of the efficacy of antitranspirants in ameliorating drought stress, they are not widely used for commercial arable crop production. However, in fruit horticulture, products with antitranspirant effects are already being used commercially for various non-antitranspirant purposes. More recent research shows that with knowledge of a crop's growth stage and soil moisture, antitranspirants can be a valuable option for managing drought impacts on yield in arable crops.

Keywords: Stomatal conductance; Terminal drought; Drought amelioration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:236:y:2020:i:c:s0378377419316282

DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106143

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