The Leaf Wettability of Various Potato Cultivars

Abstract

Leaf wettability has an impact on a plant’s ability to retain water on its leaf surface, which in turn has many environmental consequences. In the case of the potato leaf (Solanum tuberosum L.), water on the leaf surface may contribute to the development of a fungal disease. If fungal disease is caused, this may reduce the size of potato harvests, which contribute significantly to meeting global food demand. The aim of this study was to assess the leaf wettability of five potato cultivars (i.e., Bryza, Lady Claire, Rudawa, Russet Burbank, Sweet Caroline) in the context of its direct and indirect impact on potato yield. Leaf wettability was assessed on the basis of contact angle measurements using a sessile drop method with an optical goniometer. For Bryza and Rudawa cultivars, which showed, respectively, the highest and the lowest contact angle values, light microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy analyses were performed. The results of the contact angle measurements and microscopic image analyses of the potato leaf surfaces indicated that the level of wettability was closely related to the type of trichomes on the leaf and their density. Therefore, higher resistance of the Rudawa cultivar to biotic stress conditions could be the result of the presence of two glandular trichome types (VI and VII), which produce and secrete metabolites containing various sticky and/or toxic chemicals that may poison or repel herbivores.

Achieving High Efficacy and Low Safety Risk by Balancing Pesticide Deposition on Leaves and Fruits of Chinese Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.)

“…Wettability is a macroscopic manifestation of interfacial interactions, which can be determined by measuring the contact angle of the solution . The contact angle of the liquid on the target surface is an important index to measure the wetting retention performance.…”

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of CPR5 Genes in Gossypium Reveals Their Potential Role in Trichome Development

“…In recent years, trichomes have been proven to be important for their involvement in multiple development pathways in various plant species, such as Arabidopsis , soybean, tomato, and tobacco ( Lam and Pedigo, 2001 ; Choi et al, 2012 ; Cox and Smith, 2019 ; Fumin Wang et al, 2021 ). The trichomes functions of disease response, biotic stress defense, and maintaining the normal plant growth process have been deeply studied ( Zhou et al, 2011 ; Yang and Ye, 2013 ; Zhou et al, 2013 ; Papierowska et al, 2020 ). Based on those results, lots of functional genes and signaling response pathways involved in trichomes initiation and elongation had been reported ( Zhou et al, 2013 ; Yuan et al, 2019 ; Yu et al, 2021 ; Yuan et al, 2021 ).…”

Leaf Wettability Difference Among Tea Leaf Ages and Analysis Based on Microscopic Surface Features

“…Leaves of different ages had CA values less than 90°and were considered hydrophilic surface according to accepted classification criteria [17][18][19]. The CA of Huangjinya was the largest among young leaves, but it was still below 90°.…”

“…The last one is the hydrophilic surface which can be easily wetted by water with CA lower than 90° [17]. Leaf CA is usually measured by the sessile droplet method using a contact angle meter even though it is not an artificial solid surface [18]. Droplet will roll off and without water spread if leaf surface has hydrophobic property.…”

“…Zhu et al [25] observed that rice leaf CA increased with growth and there were no distinct difference between cultivars. Papierowska et al [18] indicated that the wettability of potato leaf was closely related to trichome types and density. Moreover, wax mass and structure also influence leaf wettability [26].…”