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Hydraulic conductance measurements 

 Embolism measurements 

 Field portable kit. 

 Applicable to a wide range of species 

 Analysis and communication software included

APPLICATIONS

• Hydraulic conductance measurements inside laboratory and on field.
• Wood embolism and die back.
• Water relation in fruit and forest species.
• Transpiration modelling and irrigation monitoring.
• Drought physiological impact.
• Species selection for water stress.
• Frost resistance for plants.
• Studying of xylem pathology.

The embolism blocks the sap circulating and thus diminishing the hydraulic conductance of the conducting material; the technique for hydraulic measurement of embolism (Sperry and al., 1988)(1) consists in estimating the hydraulic conductance of little segments (a few centimetres) then resaturating the conducting material by putting a degassed and under pressure water perfusion on the sample. This perfusion will eject and dissolve the air of a certain number of vessels; The ratio between initial conductance and full saturation one provides a quantitative value of the embolism degree. This widely used technique needs a precision scales which means it is totally unusable on field.

XYL'EM allows to measure the embolism establishing without a precision scales; Due to its roughness, the kit can be intensively used on field as well as in laboratory. The simplicity leads to easier and faster measurements. A complete automated version is realisable, and also a High Pressure (HPFM) version.

(1) Sperry J.S., Donnelly J.R., Tyree M.T., 1988 - A method for measuring hydraulic conductivity and embolism in xylem. Plant, Cell and Environment, 11, 35-40.(2) Cochard H., Bodet C., Améglio T., Cruiziat P., 2000 - Cryo-Scanning electron microscopy observations of vessel content during transpiration in walnut petioles. Facts or Artifacts? Plant Physiology, Vol. 124, 1-12.

Nombre d’échantillons

Diamètre des échantillons

Flux d’eau

Pression de mesure

Conductance (selon débimètre)

Pression de resaturation

Compensation en temperature

Capacité réservoir

Dimensions

Poids total

10

1..15 mm

0.1 .. 5 g/h

0.2 .. 10 g/h

0.4 .. 20 g/h

1 .. 50 g/h

2 .. 100 g/h

1..7 kPa (20 à 70 cm H2O)

0.22..77 mmol/s/MPa

0.44..154 mmol/s/MPa

0.88..308 mmol/s/MPa

2.2..772 mmol/s/MPa

4.4..1543 mmol/s/MPa

0..200 kPa

5..35 °C

5 litres

25/25/45 cm

10 kg

Tél : 04 43 76 14 01

        04 43 76 14 09

Fax : 04 43 76 14 10

Thierry.Ameglio@inrae.fr

Herve.Cochard@inrae.fr