Question

Give scientific reasons for the following statement.

Balsam plants wilt during mid-day even if the soil is well watered.

Answer 1

Transpiration

1. Transpiration is the loss of water through the stomata, lenticels, or cuticles of a plant.
2. It leads to excessive loss of water from the plants which causes wilting of the plant.
3. Even though the soil is well-watered, the rate of transpiration is very high compared to the rate of absorption of water by the roots.
4. Wilting is observed mostly on bright sunny days.

Hence, balsam plants wilt during mid-day even if the soil is well watered because the rate of transpiration is greater than the rate of absorption of water by the roots.