14TSB_ESAP Electrolyzed water in crop protection

电解水是一种从水中产生次氯酸的化学简单方法，但需要先进的工程技术才能有效地应用于目标。次氯酸是众所周知的抗微生物剂和杀生物剂，其能够破坏真菌和细菌细胞壁并防止作物植物中成功发芽或感染建立。此外，有证据表明，在该过程中释放的病原体细胞壁降解产物能够触发植物免疫系统并潜在地刺激系统获得性抗性（SAR）反应，提供更持久的保护免受病原体。该项目将使用新的电化学技术，次氯酸在室外或室内生长环境中的植物毒性浓度。该系统的有效性，与传统的植物保护产品相结合，将用一组主要的高价值寄主作物进行测试，这些作物存在重大疾病问题，标准控制措施无效，或由于环境和监管问题而受到威胁。这种压力将越来越多地鼓励将新的方法纳入作物保护方案，目的是降低化学活性水平，并在接近收获时提供安全的疾病抑制方法。本研究旨在促进一种新型作物保护剂的进入，以及使其能够交付的工程系统，用于沙拉和田间蔬菜生产系统。它解决了影响生产的主要法规问题，并将系统开发从实验室调查到准备销售的工作设备的商业演示。

Electrolysed water is a chemically simple method of generating hypochlorous acid from water, but requires advanced engineering to deliver effective application to target. Hypochlorous acid is a well known anti-microbial and biocidal agent which is capable of disrupting fungal and bacterial cell walls and preventing successful germination or establishment of infection in crop plants. Furthermore, there is evidence that the pathogen cell wall degradation products liberated during the process are capable of triggering plant immune systems and potentially stimulating a systemic acquired resistance (SAR) response, providing longer lasting protection against pathogens.This project will use novel electrochemical techniques to generate effective and non-phytotoxic concentrations of hypochlorous acid in the outdoor or indoor growing environment.The effectiveness of the system, integrated with conventional plant protection products, will be tested with a panel of key high value host crops which have major disease problems where standard control measures are inefficient, or under threat due to environmental and regulatory concerns. Such pressures will increasingly encourage the incorporation of novel approaches into crop protection programmes with the aim of reducing chemical active levels and providing methods of safe disease suppression close to harvest. This research aims to faciltate the entry of a novel crop protection agent, and the engineering system which enables its delivery, to salads and field vegetable production systems. It addresses major regulatory issues which are impacting on production and will take system development through from laboratoryinvestigation to commercial demonstration of working equipment which is ready for sale.