emerging-biocontrol
Emerging biocontrol refers to the development and application of living organisms—such as beneficial microbes, insects, and natural compounds—to suppress plant pathogens, pests, and weeds in agricultural and natural ecosystems. As concerns over synthetic pesticide resistance and environmental impact grow, biocontrol offers sustainable alternatives that can protect crops while preserving ecological balance. Research in this field is advancing rapidly, with discoveries in microbial ecology and plant-microbe interactions opening new frontiers for disease-resistant and resilient plant production systems.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-15
A review finds that cold plasma technology — an ionized gas created at room temperature — can effectively kill plant viruses on seeds, surfaces, and in irrigation water without chemical residues, offering a promising new tool for protecting crops from viral diseases.
Cold plasma generates reactive chemical species (including ozone and nitrogen oxides) that inactivate plant viruses by oxidizing and denaturing capsid proteins and damaging viral genomes, suppressing replication.
Highly stable, hard-to-kill plant viruses lose infectivity when treated with cold plasma or plasma-activated water, making it effective even against robust pathogens in irrigation and hydroponic systems.
Plasma-activated water shows particular promise for sanitizing recirculating hydroponic solutions and contact surfaces, though standardized dosing metrics and large-scale commercial validation are still needed.