Water stress changes the relationship between photosynthesis and stomatal conductance.

Understanding the relationship between stomatal conductance (g) and photosynthesis (A) under water stress conditions can improve the accuracy of land surface models for estimating the gas exchange of crop canopies with the atmosphere. However, little is known about the effect of water stress on this relationship in crops. A glasshouse experiment was, therefore, conducted to investigate changes in the linear relationship between g and A owing to water stress in rice and the association with soil moisture content.