Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement (Jan 2016)
Impact of climatic factors on the release of E-β-caryophyllene from alginate beads
Abstract
Description of the subject. Alginate beads that release semiochemical compounds are interesting biological control devices used to attract the natural enemies of aphids in infested crops. Little information, however, is available about the impact of climatic factors on the release of semiochemicals from this diffusive system. Objectives. The objective of this scoping study was to investigate the impact of temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, on the release of E-β-caryophyllene from alginate beads. Method. The impact of the three climatic factors on the release of E-β-caryophyllene from alginate beads was evaluated using a Box-Behnken experimental design and a laboratory scale volatile collection system. The influence of relative humidity on bead water content and size, with and without this semiochemical, was also investigated using a gravimetric method and an easy-to-use photographic device, respectively. Results. The results showed that an increase in temperature caused a significant increase in the E-β-caryophyllene release rate. Neither relative humidity nor airflow, however, had a significant effect on the release of this semiochemical when relative humidity and wind speed ranged from 33% to 75% and from 6.61 x 10-4 m·s-1 to 2.05 x 10-2 m·s-1, respectively. The isotherm curves obtained were characteristic of food products and biopolymer materials. The isotherm shapes were not modified by the incorporation of the semiochemical into alginate beads, and showed an important increase in water content when relative humidity values exceeded 85%. Fortunately, this water content increase did not affect bead size, which facilitates the calculation of E-β-caryophyllene release. Conclusions. The present study shows for the first time the impact of the three main climatic factors on the release of E-β-caryophyllene from alginate beads. It allows learning more about how these biological control devices operate in order to optimize future field trials.
