Nanomaterials: new weapons in a crusade against phytopathogens

Bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes are the major causal agents of plant diseases. These phytopathogens are responsible for about 10–40% losses in productivity and quality of food crops and horticultural produce. Although eradication of pathogens is not possible, control of plant diseases has be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2020-02, Vol.104 (4), p.1437-1461
Main Authors: Rajwade, Jyutika M., Chikte, R. G., Paknikar, K. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural ecosystems
Agricultural industry
Agricultural practices
Agrochemicals
Antimicrobial agents
Bacteria
Biological control
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biotechnology
Contaminants
Continuous improvement
Disease control
Drug resistance in microorganisms
Emergence
Environmental hazards
Farm management
Food quality
Fungi
Host plants
Immune response
Immune system
Life Sciences
Microbial Genetics and Genomics
Microbiology
Mini-Review
Nanomaterials
Nanotechnology
Nematodes
Pathogens
Pesticide resistance
Pesticides
Pests
Phages
Plant diseases
Plant growth
Serotypes
Viruses
Weapons
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Summary:Bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes are the major causal agents of plant diseases. These phytopathogens are responsible for about 10–40% losses in productivity and quality of food crops and horticultural produce. Although eradication of pathogens is not possible, control of plant diseases has been an area of continuous improvement/research. Use of antimicrobials, bacteriophages, and biocontrol agents, natural and synthetic agrochemicals along with best farm management practices constitute integrated measures for disease control. However, the quest for new materials continues due to pesticide resistance in the pathogens, emergence of new serotypes, and accumulation of high quantities of agrochemical contaminants in the ecosystem and associated environmental hazards, specificity of biocontrol agents, succession of pathogens during the plant growth phase, etc. The emergence of “nanotechnology,” a multidisciplinary field of research, has provided a plethora of nanomaterials for potential applications in the agricultural sector. Control of plant diseases requires agents that reduce the pathogen to manageable levels, tools for early-stage detection of pathogen, and compounds that elicit immune response in the host plants. Nanomaterials have in fact been assessed for their utility in all these approaches for disease control. The present review discusses nanomaterials for controlling phytopathogens, nanomaterials in plant disease diagnostics, and nanomaterials as elicitors of the plant immune system. These nanomaterials thus represent new weapons in the fight against the phytopathogens. Recent studies indicate that nanomaterials will be a crucial component in the agroecosystem.
ISSN:0175-7598
1432-0614
DOI:10.1007/s00253-019-10334-y