ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Physiology
A hydroponic approach to assess the morpho-physiological responses of cotton cultivars under varying vapor pressure deficit (VPD) conditions
Provisionally accepted
- 1The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, United States
- 2The University of Memphis, Memphis, United States
- 3Cornell University Plant Biology Section, Ithaca, United States
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High temperature and water-deficit stresses are among the major limiting factors in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production. In addition, iIncreasing atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD, kPa) due to global warming poses a severefurther challenges crop productivity by altering influencing theplant water balance of the plants. This study aimed to assess the effects of different VPD conditions on whole-plant growth characteristics and physiological parameters of new cotton cultivars grown in a hydroponic system. The experiment was conducted between from December 2022 to April 2023 at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (WTREC), University of Tennessee, Jackson, TN. Two Conviron chambers were maintained at two VPD levels (chamber 1, 1.1 kPa and chamber 2, 2.1 kPa, both at 32 °C). Four cotton cultivars DP 2131 B3TXF (Thryvon technology), PHY 400 W3FE, PHY 1140A385-04 W3FE, and PHY 1140B373-04 W3FE were transplanted into hydroponic containers at the cotyledon stage. Cultivar DP 2131 B3TXF exhibited the highest plant height, root length, and total fresh and dry weight in both chambers compared to other cultivars. Under high VPD (2.1 kPa), DP 2131 B3TXF had significantly higher transpiration rate (TR) and stomatal conductance (gs) compared to PHY 400 W3FE. Interestingly, PHY 400 W3FE demonstrated higher intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) and significantly lower TR than DP 2131 B3TXF at the same VPD level. The same pattern was observed among cultivars for their stomatal density in chamber 2. These findings indicate that these new cotton cultivars performed differently when comparing TR, stomatal density, and root growth parameters under high VPD conditions. PHY 400 W3FE expressed the limited TR trait, while DP 2131 B3TXF exhibited enhanced root growthgreater biomass production and root length compared to other cultivars despite reduced root elongation under high VPD conditions.
Keywords: Cotton cultivars, Hydroponic system, Stomatal conductance, Transpiration rate, vapor pressure deficit (VPD, kPa)
Received: 21 Nov 2025; Accepted: 15 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Shekoofa, Dhakal and Julkowska. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Avat Shekoofa
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