Water supply is the main yield-limiting abiotic factor of oil palm in Colombia. To determine the effect of water deficit on the physiology of oil palm and to assess the tolerance degree to this condition, interspecific Elaeis oleifera versus Elaeis guineensis 'U1273', 'U1859', 'U1914', and 'U1937' hybrids were planted for 60 days in soil with different water potentials (-0.042, -0.5, -1.0, and -2.0 MPa) in a complete randomized factorial design with three replications. The water potential, osmotic adjustment molecules (total and reducing sugar content), gas exchange (photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency, and leaf respiration), and vegetative growth (height, bulb diameter, leaf area, number of leaves, total dry matter, and... |