Title : Bio-engineered silica nanoparticles potentiate transcriptional reprogramming to suppress fusarium wilt and bacterial fruit blotch in watermelon (citrullus lanatus l.)
Abstract:
The use of nanofabricated materials is being explored for the potential in crop disease management. Recently, chemically synthesized micronutrient-based nanoparticles (NPs) have been shown to improve plant growth and reduce crop diseases; however, the potential of biogenic silica NPs in disease control is unknown. Here, we report the potential and mechanism of biogenic silica NPs in suppression of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon) and bacterial fruit blotch (BFB), caused by Acidovorax citrulli (Ac). Spherical-shaped biogenic silica NPs were synthesized by cell-free cultural filtrate of locally isolated watermelon rhizosphere bacterial strain. In greenhouse experiments, application of biogenic silica NPs improved the growth performance by increasing plant height and fresh biomass through enhancing multiple key physiological processes, including antioxidative capacity. Importantly, biogenic silica NPs suppressed Fusarium wilt and BFB through inhibiting in planta colonization and invasive growth of Fon and Ac watermelon plants. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the biogenic silica NPs potentiated transcriptional reprogramming in plants and triggered salicylic acid-dependent disease resistance mechanisms upon Fon infection. These findings demonstrate that biogenic silica NPs suppress watermelon diseases by triggering innate defense mechanisms, and offer a promising nano-enabled strategy for the sustainable management of crop diseases.
Audience Take Away
- To understand the role of biogenic nanoparticles in suppressing watermelon Fusarium wilt.
- To unleash previously unexplored molecular mechanisms of nanoparticles-induced disease resistance in watermelon.
- To devise sustainable crop disease management strategies to ensure global food security.
