Choudhary S. auteur aut IRD Guha A. auteur aut IRD Kholova J. auteur aut IRD Pandravada A. auteur aut IRD Messina C. D. auteur aut IRD Cooper M. auteur aut IRD Vadez Vincent auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access This study compared maize, sorghum and pearl-millet, leading C-4 cereals, for the transpiration rate (TR) response to increasing atmospheric and soil water stress. The TR response to transiently increasing VPD (0.9-4.1 kPa) and the transpiration and leaf area expansion response to progressive soil drying were measured in controlled conditions at early vegetative stage in 10-16 genotypes of each species grown in moderate or high vapor pressure deficit (VPD) conditions. Maize grown under moderate VPD conditions restricted TR under high VPD, but not sorghum and pearl millet. By contrast, when grown under high VPD, all species increased TR upon increasing VPD, suggesting a loss of TR responsiveness. Sorghum and pearl-millet grown under high VPD reduced leaf area, but not maize. Upon progressive soil drying, maize reduced transpiration at higher soil moisture than sorghum and pearl millet, especially under high VPD, and leaf area expansion declined at similar or lower soil moisture than transpiration in maize and sorghum. It is concluded that maize conserves water by restricting transpiration upon increasing VPD and under higher soil moisture than sorghum and millet, giving maize significantly higher TE, whereas sorghum and pearl millet rely mostly on reduced leaf area and somewhat on transpiration restriction. specialized C-4 cereals Transpiration rate (TR) Atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) Transpiration efficiency (TE) Progressive soil drying (DD) Leaf expansion rate (LER) Fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) 072 295 art. 110297 [14 ] 2020 0168-9452 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010079100 10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.110297 0168-9452 [F B010079100] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010079100 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2020/07/010079100.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2020-07-31 2025-05-15 fdi:010079100 fre