Key message Leaf CA measurement should take into account angle variation during measurement time. Leaf wettability of common deciduous forest plants is characterized by wetting contact angles ranging from 60° to 140° with a significant variation between species of the same family. Abstract Leaf wettability is an important phenomenon that has an influence on several processes such as the hydrological cycle, plant pathogen growth, or pollutant and pesticide absorption/deposition. The main objective of this research was to investigate the leaf wettability differences of 19 species (16 trees and 3 shrubs) of deciduous plants commonly occurring in Polish forests (temperate climate). The measurements were gathered as follows: 20 undamaged leaves were selected for each species and the wettability was determined by contact angle measurements with an optical goniometer CAM 100 using the sessile drop method. The contact angle was measured with 1-s intervals during 2 min from droplet deposition on adaxial and abaxial leaf surface. Laboratory analyses were completed during the summer of 2016 during full vegetation growth. A general CA decrease with time was observed on both leaf sides. The contact angle values ranged from 60° to 140° depending on species and leaf side. Differences between contact angle values at the beginning and the end of measurement reached 23.6° and engendered changes of wetting classes for some species. In many cases, no wettability class change was observed despite a CA lowering of 20°. The abaxial side was found to be the more repellent for 14 out of 19 species. Altogether, the leaves were classified from highly wettable to highly non-wettable, probably depending on the plant-survival strategy.
Highlights 1. Agreement between observers allows for statistical comparison of soil water repellency results 2. Best average CA compatibility was observed between the WDPT/MED and sessile drop methods 3. WDPT below 5 s relates to an average CA below 40° for hydrophilic samples 4. Good relationship between MED and CA were obtained for a range of hydrophobic samples 5. CA ranged from 110 to 130° for strongly hydrophobic samples (600 s < WDPT < 3600 s)
Leaf surface wetness has numerous physiological and ecological consequences, and the morphological structures on the leaf surface can affect its extent and duration, contributing to interception rates in the scale of the whole ecosystem. Wetland plants have developed morphological adaptations to high water level allowing them to avoid water excess. Droplet contact angle and surface free energy are measurable parameters which relate to how the plant influences water usage and redistribution. We analysed patterns of contact angle and the surface free energy of the adaxial and abaxial surface of 10 wetland plant species and related them to the optimal habitat conditions and functional traits of the plants. Despite the consistent environment of these plants, we found them to vary greatly in terms of leaf surface wettability and surface free energy, with contact angles ranging from 75 to 169°and surface free energy, from 1.32 to 30.38 mJ/m 2 . Canopy height and leaf longevity were significantly correlated to leaf wettability, whilst SLA (Specific Leaf Area) and leaf shape were not related to hydrophobicity. Investigating adaptations of wetland plants to their environment showed that including wettability and surface free energy in combination with other plant traits improves our understanding of water plant-soil-water interactions in wetland habitats.
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.
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