Cold Plasma Treatment Strategies for the Control of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. basilici in Sweet Basil

Fusarium wilt of basil (FOB), caused by oxysporum f. sp. basilici , is an economically damaging disease field- and greenhouse-grown sweet basil. Growers have observed a resurgence FOB susceptibility in FOB-resistant cultivars. Because currently available chemical, biological, cultural control methods are costly, unsustainable, ineffective, or challenging to implement, new strategies needed. Cold plasma becoming increasingly important experimental technology the food agricultural industry for pathogen decontamination. To understand effect cold treatment on incidence severity, experiments were conducted treating mycelium, inoculated seedlings, seeds with various devices, all using helium as feed gas. Initial results indicated that while jet did not result significant reduction mean mycelial growth rate virulence pathogen, direct treatments well dielectric barrier discharge seeds, exhibit varying efficacies against FOB. Control appeared be strongly dependent exposure time plasma. These findings can aid standardization commercial seed transplant industry.