The technology, published in the journal Small and funded by an EIC-Pathfinder grant, creates a uniform hydrophobic layer that makes it difficult for bacteria and fungal spores to adhere to the leaf — without harming photosynthesis, while also protecting against UV radiation and heat.
Diseases in agricultural crops, according to UN reports, consume about a third of the world's agricultural harvest, and the direct economic damage of this phenomenon is estimated at more than $70 billion per year. A new technology developed at the Technion and recently published in the journal Small is expected to reduce the damage caused by these diseases and dramatically reduce the use of pesticides by more than 50%.
The research, funded by an EIC-Pathfinder grant from the European Union, SafeWax, was initiated and led as coordinator by Prof. Boaz Pokroy from the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering. SafeWax brings together another Technion laboratory led by Prof. Esther Segal from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, along with four international partners – BASF (Germany), the University of Bologna (Italy), the French Institute of Line and Lagène (France), and Eurofins (France).
The traditional fight against plant diseases is based on the widespread use of chemical pesticides that leach into the soil and endanger the environment and human health. In addition, many pesticides are no longer as effective as they used to be due to the resistance that various bacteria have developed against them. The technology developed by Technion researchers, SafeWax, presents a promising alternative to the use of pesticides. It produces a thin, uniform and biodegradable layer of hydrophobic material on the surface of the plant – a water-repellent substance. This material makes it difficult for bacteria and fungal spores to adhere to the plant and prevents them from absorbing moisture – which prevents spore germination or the formation of a biofilm (membrane). The inspiration for the innovative technology is the cuticle, a natural fatty layer that covers plants such as lotus and serves to clean themselves from bacteria and other contaminants.
In the experiments detailed in the Small article, the new technology was tested on tomatoes, peppers, grapevines and bamboo and proved to be effective in protecting these plants, without compromising essential processes such as photosynthesis. Furthermore, the unique coating is resistant to intense UV radiation and high heat, protecting the plant from heat and UV radiation and slowing its drying out. The coating material is based on biodegradable fatty acids that can be extracted from food scraps, thus reducing food waste, which is a serious global problem.
The researchers estimate that SafeWax technology could reduce the use of chemical pesticides by at least 50%. According to Prof. Pokroy, "It is an ecological, effective and versatile alternative to crop protection, which protects crops from diseases and, moreover, enhances the environmental resilience of modern agriculture and reduces the environmental footprint of agricultural crops."
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