Contact
    Start Publications Influence of leaf surface wettability on the drop splash ...
    ←  Publication Finder
    Attension

    Influence of leaf surface wettability on the drop splash phenomenon

    Year: 2019

    Journal: Agric. For. Meteorol., Volume 279, DEC 15

    Authors: Papierowska, Ewa; Mazur, Rafal; Stanczyk, Tomasz; Beczek, Michal; Szewinska, Joanna; Sochan, Agata; Ryzak, Magdalena; Szatylowicz, Jan; Bieganowski, Andrzej

    Organizations: Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences and Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW

    Keywords: Wettability; Splash; Water drop; Leaf surface; High-speed cameras

    Knowledge about splash of water drops on leaf surfaces is required inter alia in studies of rainfall modification by plant canopies, the spread of plant diseases, and washing out and transportation of pollutants and plant protection products that have settled on leaves. Splash drop generation is a complex process that cannot yet be precisely predicted theoretically, and it is dependent on surface properties. Hypothesizing that water drop splash on leaves will be dependent on surface wettability, we aimed to describe this effect quantitatively using leaves from N. nucifera and B. oleracea (highly non-wettable); E. aureum (non-wettable); A. macrorrhizos (wettable); N. lutea, A. glutinosa, N. alba and H. tuberosus (highly wettable); and R. makoyana (super-hydrophilic). Leaf wettability was defined by the contact angle value, measured using the sessile drop method. Surface leaf structures were described based on photographs from a scanning electron microscope. Splashes were caused by single water drops (4.2 mm) falling freely from 1.5 m. The phenomena were recorded by a set of high-speed cameras. It can be concluded that falling water drop behaviour is closely related to both wettability and surface structure, particularly the presence of trichomes. Greater hydrophobicity causes this at the moment of impact; the water drop propagates faster and expands to a larger surface area. The effect of the presence of trichomes is more pronounced when there is a relation between the average number and velocity of ejected droplets and the equivalent diameter of the largest residual droplet remaining on the leaf versus contact angle. The presence of trichomes on the leaf surface causes resistance, which leads to energy losses from the hitting drop and disturbs the process of water spreading over the leaf surface.
    View publication