Protocols for in situ continuous monitoring of water relations/potential in soil and leaf

Within the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, water movement is driven by the water potential gradients between these three domains. To have a comprehensive understanding of such water relations, an examination of how plants respond to variations in soil water availability is required. The methodologies employed for measuring water potential in leaf (Ψ leaf ) and soil (Ψ soil ) have undergone a significant evolution; transitioning from qualitative assessments to the use of high-precision digital sensors over the past few decades. The present protocol aims to provide a comprehensive, step-by-step guide from the germination phase of maize and tomato plants to the installation of two sensors that continuously monitor water potential in the leaf (PSY1 psychrometer) and in the soil (Teros 21 matric potential sensor). Additionally, we present the code for processing the raw data files in RStudio.