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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Structure and Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #299117
Title: Chemical imaging of secondary cell wall development in cotton fibers using a mid-infrared focal-plane array detector

Author
item Santiago Cintron, Michael
item Fortier, Chanel
item Hinchliffe, Doug
item Rodgers Iii, James

Submitted to: Textile Research Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/2016
Publication Date: 6/24/2016
Citation: Santiago Cintron, M., Fortier, C.A., Hinchliffe, D.J., Rodgers III, J.E. 2016. Chemical imaging of secondary cell wall development in cotton fibers using a mid-infrared focal-plane array detector. Textile Research Journal. 87(9):1040-1051. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040517516648505.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0040517516648505

Interpretive Summary: Market demands for cotton varieties with improved fiber properties also call for the development of fast, reliable testing methods for monitoring fiber development and measuring their properties. Currently, cotton breeders rely on instrumentation that can require significant amounts of sample, which complicates fiber development studies. Herein, we explored the use of high resolution, Infrared (IR) microscopy to examine cotton fiber secondary cell wall growth. Notably, there was a marked intensity increase for a peak in the IR data near 1015 cm-1 and at 2900 cm-1. These changes agree with those observed with macroscopic IR tests. Chemical distribution maps and principal component analysis (PCA) plots visually depict these spectral changes. Our results suggest the IR microscopy can potentially be utilized as a tool to monitor and assess important agronomic properties, such as cotton maturity, during fiber growth.

Technical Abstract: Market demands for cotton varieties with improved fiber properties also call for the development of fast, reliable analytical methods for monitoring fiber development and measuring their properties. Currently, cotton breeders rely on instrumentation that can require significant amounts of sample, which complicates fiber development studies. Herein, we explored the use of high resolution, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) microscopy to examine cotton fiber secondary cell wall development. Notably, there was a marked intensity increase for the C-O bending region near 1015 cm-1 and the C-H stretch at 2900 cm-1. These changes agree with those observed with macroscopic FTIR tests. Chemical distribution maps and principal component analysis (PCA) plots visually depict these spectral changes. Our results suggest the FTIR microscopy can potentially be utilized as a tool to monitor and assess important agronomic traits, such as cotton maturity, during fiber development.