Effects of temperature, humidity, rewetting and removal of deposits on penetration of NAA [2-(1-naphthyl)acetic acid] through isolated tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) fruit cuticles were studied using a finite dose diffusion system. In this system, an aqueous 5-microliter droplet (0.1 mM NAA in 20 mM citric acid buffer) is applied to the outer surface of a cuticle, which is mounted in a glass diffusion half-cell. The cell wall surface is in contact with a receiver solution (20 mM citrate). Penetration is monitored by repeated sampling of the receiver solution. Droplets appeared dry on visual inspection within 1 h of application, but significant NAA penetration continued after droplet drying. Maximum rates of NAA penetration increased exponentially as temperature was increased (from 5 degrees to 35 degrees C), the energy of activation averaging 153 (+/- 11.6)kJ mol-1. At 35 degrees C, penetration reached a plateau within 10 h of application (at 91.1 (+/- 1.0)% of dose applied) while at 5 degrees C penetration after 800 h reached only 30.2 (+/- 7.5)%. Increasing relative humidity from 20 to 80% increased maximum rates [from 1.0 (+/- 0.21) to 2.7 (+/- 0.80)% h-1] and penetration at 120 h after application [from 36.8 (+/- 2.1) to 64.3 (+/- 3.7)%]. Rewetting deposits at 120, 240 and 360 h after application resulted in increased NAA penetration. However, amounts and rates of NAA penetration progressively decreased with each subsequent rewetting. Removal of deposits by cellulose acetate stripping at various times after droplet application resulted in a rapid decrease in NAA penetration. NAA penetration following deposit removal was always less than 6.1% of the amount of NAA applied and averaged 0.5 (+/- 0.2)% when deposits were removed immediately after droplet drying.