RESUMO
There is an urgent need to explore climate-resilient alternative agriculture production systems that focus on resilience, resource efficiency, and disease management. Hydroponics, a soilless cultivation system, gaining interest as it reduces the dependency on agricultural land, and pesticides, and can be implemented in areas with poor soil quality, thus mitigating the negative effects of extreme weather events. Potato is an essential dietary staple crop grown throughout the world and is a major source of food security in underdeveloped countries. However, due to the climatic changes, it is predicted that a significant loss in the suitability of land for potato production would occur, thus leading to potato yield loss. Recently, many case studies have emerged to highlight the advancement of agricultural hydroponic systems that provide a promising solution to the massive production of potato mini tuber at high efficiency. This review paper evaluates popular hydroponic methods and demonstrates how hydroponic has emerged as the go-to, long-term, sustainable answer to the perennial problem of insufficient access to high-quality potato seed stock. The paper discusses the research and innovation possibilities (such as artificial intelligence, nanoparticles, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) that potentially increase tuber production per plant under optimal hydroponic growth circumstances. These approaches are examined considering new scientific discoveries and practical applications. Furthermore, it emphasizes that by enduring significant reforms in soilless food production systems (particularly for potatoes), the food supply of a rapidly growing population can be addressed. Since hydroponics systems are productive and easily automated without soil and optimal environmental conditions, future hydroponics farming is promising. In conclusion, the hydroponics system provides better yield and crop productivity by saving water, energy, and space. Henceforth, it can be the alternate choice for modern sustainable agriculture.
RESUMO
Native starches have limited applications in the food industry due to their unreactive and insoluble nature. Cold plasma technology, including plasma-activated water (PAW), has been explored to modify starches to enhance their functional, thermal, molecular, morphological, and physicochemical properties. Atmospheric cold plasma and low-pressure plasma systems have been used to alter starches and have proven successful. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the different cold plasma setups employed for starch modifications. The effect of cold plasma technology application on starch characteristics is summarized. We also discussed the potential of plasma-activated water as a novel alternative for starch modification. This review provides information needed for the industrial scale-up of cold plasma technologies as an eco-friendly method of starch modification.
RESUMO
The antifungal effects of four essential oils viz., clove (Syzygium aromaticum), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), mint (Mentha × piperita) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) were evaluated against wilt causing fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici 1322. The inhibitory effect of oils showed dose-dependent activity on the tested fungus. Most active being the clove oil, exhibiting complete inhibition of mycelial growth and spore germination at 125 ppm with IC50 value of 18.2 and 0.3 ppm, respectively. Essential oils of lemongrass, mint and eucalyptus were inhibitory at relatively higher concentrations. The Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of clove oil was 31.25 ppm by broth microdilution method. Thirty one different compounds of clove oil, constituting approximately ≥99% of the oil, were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis. The major components were eugenol (75.41%), E-caryophyllene (15.11%), α-humulene (3.78%) and caryophyllene oxide (1.13%). Effect of clove oil on surface morphology of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici 1322 was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). SEM observation revealed shrivelled hyphae while AFM observation showed shrunken and disrupted spores in clove oil treated samples. In pots, 5% aqueous emulsion of clove oil controlled F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici 1322 infection on tomato plants. This study demonstrated clove oil as potent antifungal agent that could be used as biofungicide for the control of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in both preventive and therapeutic manner.
