Scholander bomb
The Scholander bomb is an excellent instrument to measure the approximate water potential of plants. It has been used since the 1960s. The Scholander bomb consists of a specific pressure gauge (blue box) with a measuring chamber and a tank filled with pressurized air or nitrogen. When measuring, a leaf or a small shoot segment is cut from the plant and placed inside the sealed chamber with the cut surface being exposed to the outside. Gas is added to the plant stem inside the airtight chamber until a water drop or xylem liquid appears on the cut surface. Then a pressure value of -0,5 – -8 Mpa can be read. The value shows the plant’s water potential. This instrument is used during stress tests to see how plant’s water potential changes when they are planted in alkaline soils compared to the control group’s water potential.
