The white deposit seen on grapes and most other berries is
cuticular wax. Cuticle is the outermost layer covering the plant surface and
plays a role in the plant's interactions with its environment.Cuticular wax is part of the cuticle in several plant parts
in almost all plant species. It is usually embedded in the cuticle and in some
plant species crystalline wax structures overlay this layer and appear as
powdery white/grey deposit (for example, grapes and other berries).
The wax is composed primarily of long-chain fatty acids,
hydrocarbons, ketones, alcohols and alkaloids. Plants use cuticular wax
primarily to regulate non-stomatal loss of water.
Cuticular wax is also reported to play important roles in
disease resistance against bacterial and fungal pathogens of plants and in
plant-insect relationships.
Being reflective in nature, waxes are also thought to offer
some protection against UV damage. In agriculture, waxes impede the uptake of
foliar sprays without surfactants due their hydrophobicity (water repellent
property). Courtesy : The Hindu
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