Plant Disease Fighters: The Silver Bullets You Didn't Know About
- Arunpravin R S
- Feb 26
- 4 min read
Introduction:
Nanoparticles are products of Nanotechnology, which deals with substances measured at a nanoscale known as nanotechnology. Nanotechnology can increase the surface area of any material. This makes it possible for more atoms to interact with other materials. One of the main reasons nanometer-scale materials can be stronger, more durable, and more conductive than their larger-scale or bulk counterparts is an increased surface area. In comparison to bigger particles, nanoparticles have a significantly higher surface area per unit volume. Nanoparticles become more chemically reactive as a result. Silver nanoparticles typically have less than 100 nm sizes and contain 20 to 15,000 silver atoms. The antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles is prominent even at low concentrations due to the high surface-to-volume ratio. Nano Silver has demonstrated healing and anti-inflammatory qualities, and it can repair and nurture skin tissue. For the synthesis of silver NPs, several types of preparation methods have been found. Some significant examples include laser ablation, gamma radiation, electron radiation, chemical reduction, photochemical procedures, and biological synthetic approaches. microwave processing. Silver is usually shiny grey but silver nanoparticles are yellow. This is due to a phenomenon called Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR). As these particles start to grow bigger by grouping with other particles, the original shiny grey color of silver reappears.
AgNPs to improve shelf life:
The influences on shelf life can be divided into intrinsic factors such as water availability, pH, and acidity level and extrinsic influences like temperature, Light exposure, and Relative Humidity. Various nanoparticles have varying effects on the fresh product's shelf life, but for the most part, nanomaterials have a favorable impact and enhance the quality characteristics of fruits and vegetables. Ag NPs have been widely employed in agriculturally dependent nations including China, India, Brazil, and the United States to extend the shelf life of perishable goods. India, the world's second-largest producer of fresh produce, has various uses for silver nanostructures that extend the shelf life of products. The figure below displays two tomatoes. The tomato that has been marked as "B" has been treated with silver nanoparticles in a sterile environment at a temperature of 25 °C and A is not treated with silver nanoparticles. It is noted that tomatoes with silver nanoparticle coating exhibit an increase in shelf life of up to 16 to 21 days at room temperature compared to tomatoes without the coating.
Early Blight Affecting Tomatoes:
A disease known as early blight, which is brought on by Alternaria solani and causes large crop losses, is the main obstacle for farmers while cultivating tomatoes. Even before the development of fruit, tomatoes are prone to several diseases brought on by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and nematodes. Early blight, which is caused by the pathogen Alternaria solani (Sorauer), is one of the most harmful ailments that damage tomatoes. Alternaria Nees is the name of a vast genus of fungi. The most harmful member of its species, the solani Sorauer, infects tomato and potato plants worldwide with early blight. A. solani colonizes the fruits, stems, and leaves of Solanaceae plants, resulting in up to a 78% reduction in agricultural production. It frequently occurs in warm, muggy growth environments. Circular, dark-brown dots on leaves that gradually turn yellow and wither, as well as matching marks on fruit which can result in rot, are signs of early blight.
The early blight disease-causing Alternaria solani was successfully combated in the lab and a greenhouse utilizing the greenly produced silver nanoparticles with a 22 to 30 nm size range. Neem tree leaf extract was used to create AgNPs. The AgNPs reduced the symptoms and suppressed the growth of the fungus by more than 50% when compared to the control, even at lower doses. Higher silver nanoparticle concentrations entirely stopped the fungus from growing. Using AgNPs as a foliar spray improves plant growth and development by reducing A. solani's fungal growth, mycelial development, disease severity, and oxidative damage. Certain phytochemicals, like phenols and flavonoids, which have been demonstrated to have antifungal activities, have been observed to accumulate more readily in the presence of silver nanoparticles.
Perks of using AgNPs:
Tomato plants treated with AgNPs displayed significantly higher plant height (30%), leaf count, fresh weight (45%), and dry weight (40%) than the untreated plants. Additionally, compared to the control plants, the AgNP-treated plants showed a significantly lower disease severity index (DSI) (73%) and disease incidence (DI) (69%) than the untreated plants. AgNPs improve plants' resistance to stress by regulating the production of stress-related hormones, boosting antioxidant defense, and modulating the expression of genes that respond to pathogenic stress. Because of their large surface area to volume ratio, high reactivity, and ability to interact with biological components, they reduce the damage caused by oxidative stress.
Cons of using AgNPs:
The main disadvantage of the chemical and physical processes for producing silver nanoparticles is their high cost, usage of dangerous, poisonous substances, and potential biological and environmental risks. Before the product is sold in markets around the world, its effects on plants that produce edible crops should be assessed. The impact of silver nanoparticles on human health when used in agricultural goods is an important issue. The direct ingestion of these nanoparticles utilized as food additives could be harmful to people's health. Production of ROS (reactive oxidative species) is a toxicological mechanism that causes cellular harm and fatal outcomes. In humans, excessive ROS generation can result in mutagenesis, cancer, severe age-related illnesses, DNA damage, injury to neurons, and autophagy. A regrettable side effect of exposure to food nanoproducts is allergic responses. Furthermore, excessive quantities and long-term interactions with nanoparticles in the human body and plant seeds will result in major issues.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the cultivation of tomatoes is promoted and preserved through the fusing of a metal known for its antibacterial characteristic with nanoscale particles, Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs). This agricultural innovation has both benefits and drawbacks. AgNPs have a lot of potential, but their use is constrained by their negative effects and high price. To address these issues and create a superior product with many benefits and few drawbacks, numerous investigations and tests are being conducted.
About the Author
S. S. Sakthi Shri
Biotech undergrad
SRM Institute of Science and Technology
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