Articles
Utilizing nanocellulose as freeze protection on peach trees
Article number
1352_73
Pages
539 – 546
Language
English
Abstract
Nanocellulose is a nanostructured cellulose hydrogel produced from mechanical disintegration of cellulose, a major carbohydrate from plant cell walls.
It possesses high thermal stability and low thermal conductivity, and it can be applied as a spray coating to improve cold-hardiness in dormant grape and cherry floral buds.
The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of nanocellulose as a freeze protection strategy in peach floral buds.
Fruiting wood of cultivar Flavorich was collected weekly in early spring from a commercial orchard in middle Georgia.
The fruiting wood was randomly placed into four different treatment groups: control (water) and three different treatment concentrations of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) of a commercial product NDASH Valida 1000. The stems were placed in Styrofoam trays and sprayed with each treatment solution using a C02 pressurized sprayer.
Samples were then cut into 5 cm stems and randomly assigned to ten different temperature treatments for a freezing tolerance test.
The freezing tolerance tests were conducted by using a programable freezing chamber to decrease the air temperature inside the freezer at a rate of -4°C h‑1 from -2 to -27°C. The bags were taken out of the freezer at each temperature treatment and subsequently held in a refrigerator to thaw.
Visual evaluations were conducted to assess the mortality rate of the floral/vegetative buds and stems.
CNF provided promising results, however its effectiveness was not consistent across each evaluation date.
In two evaluation dates, CNF treated vegetative buds and stems had a higher cold hardiness than the untreated samples.
Additional studies will be conducted to determine the effects of nanocellulose and the optimal concentration to utilize as an active freeze protection strategy.
It possesses high thermal stability and low thermal conductivity, and it can be applied as a spray coating to improve cold-hardiness in dormant grape and cherry floral buds.
The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of nanocellulose as a freeze protection strategy in peach floral buds.
Fruiting wood of cultivar Flavorich was collected weekly in early spring from a commercial orchard in middle Georgia.
The fruiting wood was randomly placed into four different treatment groups: control (water) and three different treatment concentrations of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) of a commercial product NDASH Valida 1000. The stems were placed in Styrofoam trays and sprayed with each treatment solution using a C02 pressurized sprayer.
Samples were then cut into 5 cm stems and randomly assigned to ten different temperature treatments for a freezing tolerance test.
The freezing tolerance tests were conducted by using a programable freezing chamber to decrease the air temperature inside the freezer at a rate of -4°C h‑1 from -2 to -27°C. The bags were taken out of the freezer at each temperature treatment and subsequently held in a refrigerator to thaw.
Visual evaluations were conducted to assess the mortality rate of the floral/vegetative buds and stems.
CNF provided promising results, however its effectiveness was not consistent across each evaluation date.
In two evaluation dates, CNF treated vegetative buds and stems had a higher cold hardiness than the untreated samples.
Additional studies will be conducted to determine the effects of nanocellulose and the optimal concentration to utilize as an active freeze protection strategy.
Publication
Authors
D. Bigio, R.A. Itle, S. Mani, D. Chavez
Keywords
radiative freeze, advective freeze, CNF, freezing tolerance test, nanocellulose
Groups involved
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