The water status of plants and how to measure it, has received much attention in recent years – and for good reason. Plant moisture stress (PMS), or plant water potential, indicates the demand for water within a plant.

 

PMS integrates the soil moisture tension in the rooting zone (the water supply), the resistance to water movement within the plant, and the demands for transpiration imposed by the environment (heat load, humidity, wind, etc.). Thus a PMS measurement indicates the water status of a plant from the “point of view of the plant”.

 

PMS also tells how the environment affects the plant. This information can be used to evaluate how much need the plant has for water or how well it is adapted to its environment.

PMS is measured by using a Pressure Chamber which is sometimes referred to as a “Pressure Bomb” or “Plant Water Status Console”.