Plants Heat Stress. Heat stress often is defined as where temperatures are hot enough for sufficient time that they cause irreversible damage to plant function or development. Burns may also occur as a result of accidental contact with hot surfaces or steam.
Heat stress can result in heat stroke heat exhaustion heat cramps or heat rashes. Heat stress of a plant can also be recognized by leaf drop especially in trees. For example tomato and corn plants can roll their leaves as a response to the scorching temperatures.
Heat stress is most common for indoor plants.
Two separated applications of foliar growth regulators were performed in each experiment. Most trees and shrubs in our area can begin to experience some degree of heat stress when temperatures exceed 85 o F. Heat stress is even more damaging in the flowering stage since plant is no longer growing many new leaves. Heat stress can occur from high daytime temperatures high nighttime temperatures or high soil temperatures and is the collective result of the intensity of the heat the duration of exposure and the rate of increase in temperature.
