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Horticulturae
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Innovative System for Disinfection in Greenhouses
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Innovative System for Disinfection in Greenhouses

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Protected Culture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 July 2024) | Viewed by 18213

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Bandte Martina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division Phytomedicine, Faculty of Life Science, Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Interests: water transmissibility of plant viruses; disinfection; tree viruses; sanitation; epidemiology of plant pathogens; horticulture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Known and new pathogens continue to pose a challenge to economically and ecologically intensive crop production. Technical processes such as electrolytic water disinfection have been scaled up and introduced into practice. However, one challenge is still posed by undesirable disinfection byproducts.

It is well known that proper attention to greenhouse sanitation is essential to reduce disease and pest outbreaks. Pathogen propagules are easily introduced and dispersed through irrigation, soil and soilless media, plantlets, and tools such as growing containers, trays, and metal pruning equipment. In addition, employees and visitors can introduce pathogens from surrounding areas if they harbor a reservoir of pests and pathogens. A variety of disinfection technologies comprising physical, chemical, and ecological techniques is available on the market. According to the diversity of production conditions and beyond the general requirements of sustainability, environmental compatibility and product safety, the gardener has to choose the technique that fits best for their specific application. For instance, water disinfection is required in hydroponics, aquaponics, and in pre- and postharvest practices of the fresh produce chain, as well as whenever run-off, reused or surface water potentially contaminated with plant or human pathogens is used.

Disinfection in the greenhouse is an essential part of plant protection management. It includes seed disinfection as well as disinfection of soil, water, recirculating nutrient solution, and surface. What is our current state of knowledge? Which technologies and processes have been tested, introduced, or established in horticultural practice? What are their advantages and limitations?

Based on your expertise, I believe that you could make a valuable contribution to this Special Issue with a suited topic within the wide field of related subjects. I am aware that this is a huge topic, with various technical approaches, different pests, diverse production conditions and crops, and different legal frameworks in individual countries. Let us take up the challenge together.

Dr. Bandte Martina
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • water treatment
  • seed treatment
  • surface disinfection
  • soil biosolarization
  • disinfection byproducts
  • hydroponics
  • aquaponics
  • wash water

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2812 KiB  
Article
Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus Is Transmissible through a Greenhouse Hydroponic System but May Be Inactivated by Cold Plasma Ozone Treatment
by Jing Zhou, Andrea Gilliard and Kai-Shu Ling
Horticulturae 2024, 10(4), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10040416 - 20 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1853
Abstract
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is an emerging tobamovirus infecting tomatoes and peppers, resulting in a pandemic in recent years. In addition to its abilities of being seed-borne, transmitted mechanically and overcoming current resistance, we speculated other factors may also contribute to [...] Read more.
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is an emerging tobamovirus infecting tomatoes and peppers, resulting in a pandemic in recent years. In addition to its abilities of being seed-borne, transmitted mechanically and overcoming current resistance, we speculated other factors may also contribute to such catastrophic effect on tomato production in a hydroponic greenhouse. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether ToBRFV can be transmissible through recirculating hydroponic systems and, more importantly, search for an effective approach to contain its spread. We not only detected ToBRFV in the runoff water samples collected from three greenhouses but also determined the virus’ infectivity through a bioassay. We then conducted a water treatment using cold plasma ozone to assess its efficacy in inactivating ToBRFV. The results showed that, with a high concentration of ToBRFV (inoculum in 1:100 dilution), a prolonged exposure (72 min) to two higher ozone concentrations (0.6 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L) achieved partial effects. With a medium virus concentration (inoculum in 1:1000 dilution), an exposure to ozone for 48 min was sufficient to completely suppress the virus’ infectivity. However, with a low virus concentration (inoculum in 1:10,000 dilution), the virus was completely inactivated even with just a short ozone exposure (24 min). Future work will need to confirm the efficacy of the ozone treatment against ToBRFV as well as its impact on tomato plants in a hydroponic greenhouse. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative System for Disinfection in Greenhouses)
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13 pages, 2553 KiB  
Article
Effects of Cold Plasma and Ozone Water Treatment on Micronutrient Solubility
by Dharti Thakulla and Paul R. Fisher
Horticulturae 2023, 9(5), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9050568 - 11 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2784
Abstract
Cold plasma and ozone sanitation of irrigation solutions can oxidize both microbes and non-target micronutrients because their high oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) is a non-selective mode of action. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of cold plasma and ozone treatment [...] Read more.
Cold plasma and ozone sanitation of irrigation solutions can oxidize both microbes and non-target micronutrients because their high oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) is a non-selective mode of action. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of cold plasma and ozone treatment on oxidation of iron and manganese in nutrient solutions containing one of four iron chelates (iron-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (Fe-EDTA), iron-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Fe-DTPA), iron-ethylenediamine-N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) (Fe-EDDHA), and hydroxybenzyl ethylenediamine (Fe-HBED)). Nutrient solutions were recirculated through the cold plasma or ozone system until the ORP reached 700 mV. The concentrations of total dissolved iron, manganese, and chelated iron were measured before and after passing through the treatment systems. Both cold plasma and ozone oxidized chelates and decreased the solubility of iron and manganese. Cold plasma and ozone had similar effects on micronutrients, pH, electrical conductivity, and dissolved oxygen at a standardized target ORP of 700 mV. Fe-EDTA was the most resistant chelate to oxidation. With Fe-EDTA, ORP increased more quickly, and the concentration of chelated Fe decreased less with the increasing ORP over time compared with Fe-DTPA, Fe-EDDHA, and Fe-HBED. The concentration of chelated Fe decreased by up to 80% for EDDHA at 700 mV compared with a 20% decrease for EDTA. The concentration of Mn decreased by up to 85% at 700 mV. The design of water treatment with cold plasma or ozone therefore requires consideration of secondary effects on micronutrients. The treatment dosage, flow rate, and nutrient solution at a particular grower operation are likely to affect the quantity of micronutrient fertilizer that needs to be supplemented following treatment. Use of Fe-EDTA is one strategy to reduce the loss of iron and increase residual ORP that is available for sanitation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative System for Disinfection in Greenhouses)
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12 pages, 4079 KiB  
Article
Disinfectants Useful to Manage the Emerging Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus in Greenhouse Tomato Production
by Kai-Shu Ling, Andrea C. Gilliard and Bazgha Zia
Horticulturae 2022, 8(12), 1193; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8121193 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5924
Abstract
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is an emerging tobamovirus infecting tomato and pepper crops. First identified in 2014 in the Middle East, ToBRFV has spread rapidly around the world. Being seed-borne, resistance breaking and easy mechanical transmission, ToBRFV can spread quickly in [...] Read more.
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is an emerging tobamovirus infecting tomato and pepper crops. First identified in 2014 in the Middle East, ToBRFV has spread rapidly around the world. Being seed-borne, resistance breaking and easy mechanical transmission, ToBRFV can spread quickly in a greenhouse through plant handling. Thus, selecting an effective disinfectant that is capable of deactivating virus infectivity is important. We aimed to identify these effective disinfectants for ToBRFV management in greenhouse tomato production, particularly for total cleaning. A useful disinfectant should be effective against ToBRFV infectivity without major phytotoxic effect on the test plants. In this study, we evaluated 11 disinfectants at various concentrations and assessed their efficacy in ToBRFV treatment on tomato plants that were pretreated with or without SP2700, a known antiviral plant activator of Ningnanmycin. SP2700 treated-plants generated systemic acquired resistance with a delay in symptom expression for 2–3 weeks in comparison to the mock control. Overall, 1% Virocid, 2% Virkon S, 0.25% sodium hypochlorite (5% Clorox bleach), and 2.5% trisodium phosphate (TSP) achieved complete deactivation of ToBRFV with 15 min exposure. However, TSP presented serious phytotoxicity. Our results offer practical solutions to manage this emerging disease affecting tomato production in greenhouses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative System for Disinfection in Greenhouses)
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11 pages, 29814 KiB  
Article
Disinfection Efficacy of Tobamovirus-Contaminated Soil in Greenhouse-Grown Crops
by Aviv Dombrovsky, Netta Mor, Shelly Gantz, Oded Lachman and Elisheva Smith
Horticulturae 2022, 8(7), 563; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8070563 - 21 Jun 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4019
Abstract
The tobamoviruses tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) and cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) have caused severe crop damages worldwide. Soil-mediated dispersion of the mechanically transmitted tobamoviruses constitute a major hindrance toward mitigating disease spread in crops carefully planted under sanitized conditions. [...] Read more.
The tobamoviruses tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) and cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) have caused severe crop damages worldwide. Soil-mediated dispersion of the mechanically transmitted tobamoviruses constitute a major hindrance toward mitigating disease spread in crops carefully planted under sanitized conditions. Tobamoviruses are viable for months in soil and plant debris and for more than a year adhere to clay. However, a low percentage of infectious foci occur in soil following a tobamovirus-infected growing cycle, rendering disinfection studies of several contaminated plots inconclusive for large-scale crop productions. We have therefore formulated a rigorous platform for studying disinfectant efficacy in greenhouses by pouring a virus inoculum to planting pits prior to disinfectant treatment and by truncating seedling roots before planting, which was otherwise conducted under sanitized conditions. We have found that chlorine-based Taharan was significantly efficient in preventing disease spread of ToBRFV and CGMMV in tomato and cucumber plants, respectively. KlorBack was often as good as Taharan. In addition, a formulation of chlorinated tri-sodium phosphate used at a nonphytotoxic 3% concentration showed disinfection efficiency similar to Taharan effect on ToBRFV infection only. Our study provided a small-scale platform for disinfectant efficacy evaluation necessary for application in tobamovirus-contaminated soil, which commonly occurs in commercial tomato and cucumber greenhouses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative System for Disinfection in Greenhouses)
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16 pages, 2318 KiB  
Article
Electrolytic Disinfection of Irrigation Water for Intensive Crop Production in Greenhouses as Demonstrated on Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum Mill)
by Marlon Hans Rodriguez, Uwe Schmidt, Carmen Büttner and Martina Bandte
Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 414; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050414 - 6 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2445
Abstract
Shortage of water availability and awareness of the need for sustainable resource management have generated a significant increase in the use of recycled water for irrigation and processing of crops and harvest products, respectively. As a result, irrigation systems face the challenge of [...] Read more.
Shortage of water availability and awareness of the need for sustainable resource management have generated a significant increase in the use of recycled water for irrigation and processing of crops and harvest products, respectively. As a result, irrigation systems face the challenge of neutralizing plant pathogens to reduce the risk of their dispersal and the subsequent occurrence of diseases with potentially high economic impacts. We evaluated the efficacy of an innovative electrolytic disinfection system based on potassium hypochlorite (KCLO) to inactivate major pathogens in hydroponically grown tomatoes: Fusarium oxysporum (Synder and Hans), Rizocthonia solani (Kühn), Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV). The electrolytically derived disinfectant was prepared on-site and added to the recirculating fertigation solution once a week for 60 min in an automated manner using sensor technology at a dosage of 0.5 mg of free chlorine/L (fertigation solution at pH 6.0 ± 0.3 and ORP 780 ± 31 mV). Tomato fruit yield and pathogen dispersal were determined for 16 weeks. At the applied dosage, the disinfectant has been shown to inhibit the spread of plant pathogenic fungi and, remarkably, plant viruses in recirculating fertigation solutions. Phytotoxic effects did not occur. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative System for Disinfection in Greenhouses)
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