2.2 Relative water content determinations
Young fully expanded leaves from the fifth node and comparable in size were sampled for relative water content (RWC) determinations. Leaves were weighed immediately after sampling (fresh weight), floated in the dark for 48 h to achieve maximal turgidity (saturated weight), oven-dried (80°C) for 16 h and weighed again (dry weight). RWC was calculated according to the formula: [(fresh weight − dry weight)/(saturated weight − dry weight)] × 100. Three biological replicates were assayed for each treatment.