Ozone treatment induces systemic acquired viral and fungal resistance in plants
Wagdy Sawahel
Date: 3 September 2007
Source: science development network
Indian researchers have developed a novel, simple, cheap method for enhancing resistance against virus and fungus attack in plants using Ozone treatment.
In a research articles published online in Journal of virological methods on 8 August, they showed that spraying tomato plants with Ozone-inactivated viral inoculum have led to a significant enhancement of protection against Cucumber mosaic virus attack.
They indicated that Ozone-inactivated viral inoculum caused increasing phenol content and rapid accumulation of salicylic acids leading to increase in activity of enzymes known to be involved with systematic acquired resistance such as phenylalanine ammonia and peroxidase.
In other research article accepted for publication in Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, they also showed that Ozone pre-treatment of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) resulted in activation of enzymes involved in defence reaction in plants against pathogens and leading to protecting seedlings against the Fusarium oxysporum: the causal agent of the fungal disease fusarium wilt.
Lead researcher Nadesan Sudhakar at India-based Centre for Advance Studies in Botany of University of Madras, told science development network “The possibility of sensitizing a plant to respond promptly and more efficiently to attack by a pathogen by prior treatment with the ozone-mediated inactivated viral inoculum can be considered as one of the most encouraging options for the efficient management of viral diseases in the near future.”
Sudhakar said “The protocol developed for the experiment is a cost effective, simple method applicable for developing countries. The developing countries do not require complicated, costly techniques but in contrast, it needs cost effective and simple technique.
Sudhakar added “The significance of our technique is, it doesn’t need any sophisticated instruments, costly chemicals etc. The farmers can easily handle this technique to protect their plants from viral diseases. All they need was ozone generator, infected leaf sample and penetrator.
Sudhakar pointed out “We already developed innovative techniques to develop viral and fungal resistant plants by using ozone. Our future work is to develop novel protocols, which will be a cost effective, easy applicable and eco-friendly approach. (i.e. the technique can be performed by the farmers by themselves).”
Link to full research papers
