The effect of temperature levels on water permeability of different fruit cuticular layers

Abstract

The plant cuticle forms the interface between the aerial environment and the living cells of the plant. Therefore, the cuticle has to manage multiple physiological and ecological functions like controlling water loss. One of the physical factors influenced water permeability of cuticles is temperature. This study was conducted on fruits included tomatoes( Lycopersicon esculentum.L) ,yellow and red grape (Vitis vinifera. L) , and plume (Prunus domestica.L ) .which collected from local market in Benghazi. Libya , These fruits has been collected carefully and accurately so that they were almost equal in size ,where they were visually examined to ensure that they are free from any damages or injuries caused by micro-organisms through dermis layer of fruits, where the measure and calculate the area of each fruit separately and control water loss through the sensitive balance weight and embrace the whole night. And recording of these weights in private tables and then measure the water loss through the dermis layer, where the change of temperature of fruits starts at 15 C° to 45 C° and every time we weigh and calculate the proportion of water permeability of fruits where fruits change. The fruits change starts with external shape size ,and atrophy tissues with increase in temperature, and thus calculate the total average for each type of fruits and statistically a analyzed by one way using( spss) program. The findings indicated that these fruits are affected to varying different temperatures, the higher the temperature , the higher percentage of water permeability through the dermis layer. Also, the results showed that the average of permeability of fruits vary according to the temperature where starting from 15C°, to 45 C° to increase in water loss. The temperature above 25 C° and the loss of water in all kinds of fruits was very high. This difference is due to the difference in the composition of cuticular of fruits and ecophysiological adjustment which was genetically proved.