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© 1992 Oxford University Press

RESEARCH-ARTICLE

Leaf Discs or Press Saps? A Comparison of Techniques for the Determination of Osmotic Potentials in Freeze-Thawed Leaf Material1

SILVIA B KIKUTA and HANNO RICHTER

Botamsches Institut der Universitat fur Bodenkultur A-1180 Vienna, Austria

To whom correspondence should be addressed

Two standard methods for the determination of osmotic potentials in plant organs, thermocouple hygrometry of press saps and of freeze-thawed leaf discs, were compared on leaves of ten species. Strictly parallel samples invariably showed lower (more negative) osmotic potentials for the leaf discs. Evidence is presented that osmotically-active solutes are not completely extracted during the preparation of press saps and that the discs contain, on average, a smaller amount of apoplastic water than the saps. Hydrolysis of macromolecules in the discs was not responsible for the differences. The presence of the cutinized epidermis results in a comparatively long equilibration time for leaf discs, which may be reduced by appropriate measures.

Key words: Thermocouple psychrometry, vapour pressure equilibration, leaf discs, press saps, solute extraction


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