Read full paper at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=53531#.VMdOkSzQrzE Author(s) James R. Mahan , John J. Burke Affiliation(s) USDA/ARS, Plant Stress and Water Conservation Laboratory, Lubbock, Texas, USA . ABSTRACT The relationship between a plant and its thermal environment is a major determiner of its growth and development. Since plants grow and develop within continuously variable thermal environments, they are subjected to continuous thermal variation over their life cycle. Transpiration serves to uncouple the temperature of the plant from that of its environment in a manner that reduces the occurrence of high temperature stresses that can limit plant performance. In some agriculturally important plants, there are desirable metabolic outcomes that are associated with specific stress events (e.g. wine grapes). In these plants it is often desirable to induce temperature and water stresses of kn...
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