Leaf rolling and leaf angle improve fog capturing and transport in wheat; adaptation for drought stress in an arid climate

BACKGROUND: Plants use different mechanisms to transport the collected fog water. Leaf traits of wheat play an important role in directing fog water through leaf rolling and leaf angle into the root zone, where it can be stored for consumption. Wheat leaf traits can enhance fog capturing under drought stress. To examine this, 200 wheat genotypes were characterized for leaf rolling and leaf angle under optimal conditions in the field using a randomized complete block design. Seven different phenotypic combinations for leaf traits were observed. A core set of 44 genotypes was evaluated under drought stress. RESULTS: Results show that variability for leaf traits existed among genotypes. An association was found between leaf rolling and leaf angle, moisture capturing, physiological parameters, and yield contributing traits using correlation. Physiological parameters, especially water use efficiency, were positively correlated with grain yield and moisture capturing at both growth stages. The genotypes (G11 at tillering and G24 at booting phonological phases) with inward to twisting type rolling and erect to semi-erect leaf angle capture more water (12–20%) within the root zone. Twenty-one genotypes were selected based on moisture capturing efficiency and evaluated for leaf surface wettability. Association was found between fog capturing and wettability. This shows that it was due to the leaf repellency validated from static contact angle measurements. CONCLUSION: These results will give insights into fog capturing and the development of drought-tolerant crops in the semi-arid and arid regions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40529-022-00343-y.