Desiccation is the excessive loss of water from a plant, plant tissue, or other living organism to the point that normal physiological processes are impaired. When water loss exceeds water uptake, cells lose turgor pressure, leading to wilting, reduced growth, tissue damage, and potentially death.
Plants have several adaptations that help limit desiccation, including the cuticle, stomatal regulation, boundary layers, specialized leaf structures, and water-storage tissues. Environmental factors such as low humidity, high temperatures, strong airflow, intense light, drought, and root damage can increase the risk of desiccation.
Many pest control products, including insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, diatomaceous earth, and isopropyl alcohol, rely partly on desiccation as a mode of action. By disrupting protective waxes, lipids, or water-retaining structures, they increase water loss and cause pests to dry out and die.
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