Wettability of pear leaves from three regions characterized at different stages after flowering using the OWRK method

BACKGROUND A better understanding of leaf surface wettability is critical to improve the adhesion of liquid pesticides. Leaf surface wettability is dependent on the property of the liquid as well as the physical and chemical properties of the leaf, which vary with climate and growth stage. The aim o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pest management science 2018-08, Vol.74 (8), p.1804-1809
Main Authors: Gao, Yue, Guo, Ruifeng, Fan, Renjun, Liu, Zhongfang, Kong, Weina, Zhang, Pengjiu, Du, Feng‐pei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agrochemicals
Chemical properties
China
Climate
Contact angle
Flowering
Formamides - chemistry
Free energy
Fruits
Glycols - chemistry
Growth stage
Hydrophobicity
Leaves
Organic chemistry
OWRK method
pear leaf
Pesticides
Pesticides - chemistry
Plant Leaves - chemistry
Polymethylmethacrylate
Polytetrafluoroethylene
Pyrus - chemistry
surface free energy
Ultrasonic testing
Water - chemistry
Wettability
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Summary:BACKGROUND A better understanding of leaf surface wettability is critical to improve the adhesion of liquid pesticides. Leaf surface wettability is dependent on the property of the liquid as well as the physical and chemical properties of the leaf, which vary with climate and growth stage. The aim of this study was to characterize the wettability of pear leaves from three different climatic regions at different stages after flowering. RESULTS The contact angles of different test liquids were measured on both adaxial and abaxial pear leaf surfaces and the Owens–Wendt–Rabel–Kaelble (OWRK) method was used to calculate surface free energy (SFE) and its polar and non‐polar components. The results demonstrated that the SFE of both the adaxial and abaxial surface of the pear leaf, and the proportion of polar component, increased with increasing time after flowering. At early growth stages, pear leaves were highly hydrophobic, similar to a polytetrafluoroethylene surface, whereas at later growth stages, pear leaves were hydrophobic, more similar to a polymethylmethacrylate surface. Also, the SFE differed with climatic region. Factors influencing these changes are discussed. CONCLUSION Changes in contact angles and SFE correlated with the change of the leaf surface wettability. Leaves became easier to wet (higher SFE), with an overall increasing polar component to the surface, with increasing age after flowering. As expected, changes in wettability were found in pear leaves at different stages after flowering and in different regions (P 
ISSN:1526-498X
1526-4998
DOI:10.1002/ps.4878