Which environmental factors influence transpiration rate in fruits and vegetables?

• A. Temperature
• B. Relative Humidity
• C. Air Motion
• D. All Of The Above

Answer: (D)

Transpiration is driven by the water vapor gradient between the leaf and the surrounding air, so environmental conditions that affect that gradient or the leaf’s water loss change transpiration rates.

Temperature raises the air’s capacity to hold water vapor, increasing the vapor pressure deficit between the leaf interior and the air. That larger gradient pulls water out of the leaf more quickly, boosting transpiration.

Relative humidity works in the opposite way: lower humidity (drier air) increases the vapor pressure deficit, promoting more transpiration, while high humidity reduces it.

Air motion, such as wind, blows away the water vapor near the leaf surface, thinning the boundary layer and allowing diffusion to occur more rapidly, which also increases transpiration.

Because temperature, relative humidity, and air movement all influence the driving forces or resistance to water loss, all of these environmental factors affect transpiration rate in fruits and vegetables.