Abstract
Natural stress factors can lead to yield loss, but when they act locally, stress signals spread, modifying the physiological state and enhancing stress resistance in plants. The purpose of the work is to study the influence of a combination of local factors on indicators of water exchange during irrigation and drought. Wheat was grown in a grow room; drought stress was induced by stopping watering. The modified index of stomatal conductance measured by a thermal camera, leaf water conductivity, and relative leaf water content were used to assess water exchange. It was shown that the conductance index decreased under drought and had strong correlation with plant water status parameters (R > 0.7, p < 0.05). When the plants were watered using a combination of local factors, this led to a decline in the conductance index value versus the one obtained without a stimulus; the response became weaker with increasing distance from the stimulation zone. Soil drought stress reduced the amplitude of index changes. Exposure to local heating or lighting separately did not cause changes in the index of stomatal conductance. The results show that a combination of local heating and lighting stimulates stress signals that reduce water metabolism in wheat. Potentially, such signals may take the form of the electrical signals; however, the lack of changes in the index of stomatal conductance during drought using only local heating does not support this hypothesis.