Understanding plant response to
wind is complicated as this factor
entails not only mechanical stress, but
also affects leaf microclimate. In a recent
study, we found that plant responses to
mechanical stress (MS) may be different
and even in the opposite direction
to those of wind. MS-treated Plantago
major plants produced thinner more
elongated leaves while those in wind did
the opposite. The latter can be associated
with the drying effect of wind as
is further supported by data on petiole
anatomy presented here. These results
indicate that plant responses to wind
will depend on the extent of water stress.
It should also be recognized that the
responses to wind may differ between
different parts of a plant and between
plant species. Physiological research on
wind responses should thus focus on
the signal sensing and transduction of
both the mechanical and drought signals
associated with wind, and consider both
plant size and architecture