Epicuticular waxes in micropropagated and from cutting vines of Actinidia Deliciosa under water deficit

The effects of water deficit on the cuticular transpiration, quantity and q uality of the epicuticular waxes were investigated in two-year-old kiwifrui t vines (Actinidia deliciosa A. Chev, cv. Hayward) obtained by micropropaga tion and from cuttings. The control vines (C-0 and C-1) had the same water potential value, irrespective of the propagation technique, while after thr ee days of water deficit imposition (S-1) the water potential decreased by 0.9 MPa in micropropagated vines and by 0.6 MPa in vines from cutting. Epic uticular waxes were higher in vines from cutting than in micropropagated vi nes and they increased further after three days of growth in micropropagate d vines. Cuticular transpiration of vines from cutting was lower than in th ose obtained by micropropagation and remained constant after water depletio n; on the contrary, cuticular transpiration in micropropagated vines underw ent a significant decrease. A correlation between cuticular transpiration a nd epicuticular waxes was found in control vines but it was not found follo wing water deficit imposition. Alkanes, linear esters, steryl esters, aldeh ydes, methyl phenyl esters, alcohols, free sterols, free fatty acids were p resent in both vines.