14TSB_ESAP Electrolyzed water in crop protection

电解水是从水中产生次氯酸的一种化学上简单的方法，但需要先进的工程技术才能有效地应用于目标。次氯酸是一种广为人知的抗微生物和杀生剂，它能够破坏真菌和细菌的细胞壁，防止作物成功萌发或建立感染。此外，有证据表明，在这个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抗性(SAR)反应，提供对病原体的更持久的保护。该项目将使用新的电化学技术在室外或室内生长环境中产生有效且无植物毒性的次氯酸浓度。该系统的有效性将与传统的植物保护产品相结合，将与一组关键的高价值寄主作物进行测试，这些作物存在严重的病害问题，标准的控制措施效率低下，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办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。这项研究旨在促进一种新型作物保护剂及其工程系统进入沙拉和大田蔬菜生产系统。它解决了影响生产的主要监管问题，并将推动系统开发，从实验室调查到可供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.