CARBOHYDRATE ACCUMULATION IN THE COTTON PLANT AT LOW MOISTURE LEVELS

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Abstract
In cotton leaves, drought caused an increase in hexose sugars, variable effects on sucrose, and large reductions in starch concns. In stems and roots, on the other hand, there were always moderate to large increases in the concns. of hexoses, sucrose and starch. On the basis of averages of leaves, stems, and large roots the concns. for the plant as a whole were doubled by protracted drought. Drought thus appears to depress carbohydrate utilization by the cotton plant to a greater extent than it does photosynthesis. Drought resulted in both plus and minus changes in hemicellulose concns. in leaves, according to conditions of growth, but caused no significant differences in stem and root tissues. The carbohydrate concn. differentials between leaves and stems were greater in the instance of plants on dry than on moist soils, thus indicating that drought did not interfere with polar transport. In summers with enough rainfall to prevent evident or frequent wilting, irrigation increased growth substantially.