Agricultural adjuvants may impair leaf transpiration and photosynthetic activity

Adjuvants such as surfactants are commonly incorporated into agrochemical formulations to enhance the biological efficiency of foliar sprays by improving the wetting behavior of the spray and/or the penetration of the active ingredients into the leaf tissues. Penetration accelerating adjuvants are known to increase the cuticular permeability and may alter the cuticular barrier to water loss. However, none or very little emphasis has been given to the impacts of adjuvants on crop water balance or drought tolerance, a very important factor affecting crop performance under water scarcity. Two model crops with strongly varying leaf traits, kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea) and apple (Malus domestica) seedlings were grown in controlled environments. Three adjuvants with varying solubility in the cuticle, i.e. octanol-water partition coefficients (logKow) were selected: rapeseed methyl ester (RME) and the surfactants alkyl polyglycoside (APG) and polyoxyethylated tallow amine (POEA). The higher the logKow of the adjuvant, the stronger was the increase of minimum epidermal conductance (g_min, an essential parameter describing plant drought tolerance). However, such effects depended on the physio-chemical properties of the leaf surface. In comparison to kohlrabi, the adjuvant effects on g_min of apple leaves were relatively weak. The increase of g_min was associated with a decrease in contact angle and with an alteration of the wax microstructure. Furthermore, POEA affected photochemical efficiency of kohlrabi leaves. Some adjuvants could have a temporal influence on transpirational water loss and g_min. At repeated applications, they might alter the effective water use and possibly reduce drought tolerance of some horticultural crops.

Particulate pollutants are capable to 'degrade' epicuticular waxes and to decrease the drought tolerance of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Air pollution causes the amorphous appearance of epicuticular waxes in conifers, usually called wax 'degradation' or 'erosion', which is often correlated with tree damage symptoms, e.g., winter desiccation. Previous investigations concentrated on wax chemistry, with little success. Here, we address the hypothesis that both 'wax degradation' and decreasing drought tolerance of trees may result from physical factors following the deposition of salt particles onto the needles. Pine seedlings were sprayed with dry aerosols or 50 mM solutions of different salts. The needles underwent humidity changes within an environmental scanning electron microscope, causing salt expansion on the surface and into the epistomatal chambers. The development of amorphous wax appearance by deliquescent salts covering tubular wax fibrils was demonstrated. The minimum epidermal conductance of the sprayed pine seedlings increased. Aerosol deposition potentially 'degrades' waxes and decreases tree drought tolerance. These effects have not been adequately considered thus far in air pollution research.