Silver oxide nanostructures as a new trend to control strawberry charcoal rot induced by Macrophomina phaseolina

• Published in: Pest management science Vol. 78; no. 11; pp. 4638 - 4648
• Main Authors: Derbalah, Aly, Essa, Tarek, Kamel, Said Mohamed, Omara, Reda Ibrahim, Abdelfatah, Mahmoud, Elshaer, Abdelhamed, Elsharkawy, Mohsen Mohamed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.11.2022; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Antifungal activity; Charcoal rot; control; Fruits; Fungicides; Gene expression; Greenhouses; Macrophomina phaseolina; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Polymerase chain reaction; resistance induction; Salicylic acid; Silver; Silver oxides; Strawberries; strawberry
• ISSN: 1526-498X; 1526-4998
• DOI: 10.1002/ps.7084

BACKGROUND Silver oxide (Ag2O) nanostructures were fabricated and their ability to induce antifungal activity against Macrophomina phaseolina, which causes charcoal rot disease in strawberries, was evaluated under laboratory, greenhouse and field conditions. A real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to monitor expression of defense‐related genes, which is essential to evaluate the potential of the manufactured nanoparticles to promote strawberry resistance against charcoal rot. The effect of Ag2O nanoparticles on growth characteristics in strawberry plants was also studied. RESULTS The results showed that Ag2O significantly inhibited M. phaseolina growth compared with untreated controls under in vitro conditions. Strawberry plants treated with Ag2O showed a significant decrease in the severity of charcoal rot disease in the greenhouse compared with untreated plants. Strawberry plants treated with Ag2O nanoparticles expressed defense gene (PR‐1) involved in the salicylic acid signaling pathways at levels three to five times higher than in the control group. Ag2O nanoparticles significantly improved the growth and yield of the strawberry crop. CONCLUSION Use of Ag2O nanoparticles can be considered a new strategy to control M. phaseolina and this is the first report of this effect. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. A study was carried out to fabricate Ag2O nanoparticles with unique characteristics to control charcoal rot in strawberry. Use of Ag2O nanoparticles is a novel strategy and this is the first study to report control of charcoal rot of strawberry by direct antiviral activity and resistance induction in strawberry plants.