Browsing by Author "Vallecorsa, Pablo"

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    Effects of non-thermal plasma technology on Diaporthe longicolla cultures and mechanisms involved.
    (2021-01-05) Pérez Pizá, María Cecilia; Grijalba, Pablo Enrique; Cejas, Ezequiel; Chamorro, Juan Camilo; Ferreyra, Matías; Zilli, Carla; Vallecorsa, Pablo; Yannarelli, Gustavo; Prevosto, Leandro; Balestrasse, Karina; Santa Cruz, Diego
    BACKGROUND: The Diaporthe/Phomopsis complex (D/P) is a group of soybean seed-borne fungi. The use of chemical fungicides, either for seed treatment or during the crop cycle, is the most adopted practice for treating fungal diseases caused by this complex. Worldwide, there is a search for alternative seed treatments that are less harmful to the environment than chemicals. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is a novel seed treatment technology for pathogen removal. This research aimed to evaluate the effects of NTP on the in vitro performance of pure cultures of Diaporthe longicolla and elucidate the mechanisms underlying these effects. RESULTS: Active D. longicolla mycelium, growing in vitro, was exposed to different NTP treatments, employing a dielectric bar rier discharge arrangement with different carrier gases (N2 or O2). Fungal growth, fresh biomass and colony appearance were negatively affected by plasma treatments (TN3 and TO3). Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activities were higher in plasma treated colonies comparison with non-exposed colonies (control). Fungal asexual spores (conidia) were also exposed to NTP, showing high susceptibility. CONCLUSION: Exposure of D. longicolla colonies to NTP severely compromised fungal biology. Ozone production during treat ment and lipid peroxidation of fungal cell membranes appeared to be involved in the observed effects. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
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    Non-thermal plasma application improves germination, establishment and productivity of Gatton panic grass (Megathyrsus maximus) without compromising forage quality.
    (2022) Pérez Pizá, María Cecilia; Clausen, Liliana; Cejas, Ezequiel; Ferreyra, Matías; Chamorro, Juan Camilo; Fina, Brenda; Zilli, Carla; Vallecorsa, Pablo; Prevosto, Leandro; Balestrasse, Karina
    Megathyrsus maximus (Gatton panic) is a tropical grass highly valued both for its use as forage and for its biofuel potential. A major constraint in establishing pastures of this cultivar is the low viability and germination ofseeds and the poorinitialseedling establishment. We used non-thermal plasma (NTP, partially ionised gas) as a novel technology to treat seeds of this grass, aiming to improve their quality (i.e. germination traits). We also followed the performance of seedlings grown from NTP-treated seeds under field conditions by assessing seedling establishment, biomass production and forage quality during the first regrowth period, which is the critical period for pasture establishment. Two NTP treatments were performed through dielectric barrier discharges employing N2 as carrier gas. Non-treated seeds served as the control. Results showed that the viability of NTP treated seeds was, on average, 1.5-fold higher than the control, and that germination energy and germination percentage of treated seeds was superior to the control by 2.1-fold and 2.2-fold, respectively. A field experiment showed that seedling establishment parameters (dynamics of cumulative emergence, emergence coefficient, and weighted average emergence rate) and pasture early productivity (represented by shoot dry matter) were enhanced by NTP treatment (phenolic sheet–polyester film barrier and 3 min exposure), showing 1.4–2.6-fold higher values than the control, confirming the results of the laboratory assays. Although NTP markedly increased the shoot dry matter production of the pasture, which was related to higher tiller population density and greater tiller weight, it did not affect the forage quality of the plants grown in the field. We conclude that NTP technology is suitable to improve seed germination of Gatton panic, in turn leading to improvements in seedling establishment and biomass production under field conditions without compromising forage quality.
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    Non-thermal plasma as emerging technology for Tribolium castaneum pest-management in stored grains and flours.
    (2022) Zilli, Carla; Pedrini, Nicolás; Prieto, Eduardo; Girotti, Juan Roberto; Vallecorsa, Pablo; Ferreyra, Matías; Chamorro, Juan Camilo; Cejas, Ezequiel; Fina, Brenda; Prevosto, Leandro; Balestrasse, Karina
    The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a major secondary pest on wheat stored in metal bins, silo-bags and is also frequently found in wheat products such as flour. Non-thermal plasmas (NTPs) are (quasi-neutral) partially ionized gases that may be produced by a variety of electrical dis charges. We propose the use of an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) as an emerging technology in post-harvest integrated pest management. To this aim, a series of experiments were performed in order to test the lethality of such plasmas on three life stages of T. castaneum by measuring insect mortality and their impacts on physiological and biochemical parameters affecting insect fitness. The different NTP treatments were performed by increasing the time of exposure to either O2 or N2 used as carrier gases. After 24 hours, high levels of mortality (30–100%) were reached for each applied treatment, in both larval and adult populations. Mortality seems to be related to a significant water content loss and redox imbalance. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) scanning of the prothoracic surface showed that nitrogen causes more severe damage than oxygen. As a consequence of the cuticle damage, the quinone-containing secretions of the prothoracic and abdominal glands were affected. We also carried out experiments on egg-containing flours to test the ovicidal activity of NTP. The flours were evaluated at three and twelve weeks after treatments. A 3-min nitrogen treatment showed ovicidal properties, while the remaining NTPs partially killed the eggs and delayed the emergence of larvae and adults. In conclusion, we propose an inexpensive physical treatment, which controls the entire life cycle of a major grain pest, avoiding chemical residues.
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    Non‑Thermal Plasmas Afect Plant Growth and DNA Methylation Patterns in Glycine max.
    (2021) Pérez Pizá, María Cecilia; Ibañez, Verónica; Varela, Anabella; Ferreyra, Matías; Chamorro, Juan Camilo; Zilli, Carla; Vallecorsa, Pablo; Fina, Brenda; Prevosto, Leandro; Marfil, Carlos; Cejas, Ezequiel; Balestrasse, Karina
    Non-thermal plasmas (NTP) are partially ionized gases that represent a promising technology for seed treatment to enhance seed health while promoting germination and vigor in a fast, cost-efective, and eco-friendly way. The seed treatment with NTP generates phenotypic variations in plants that could be related to changes in DNA methylation. This work analyses the efects of two diferent NTP: nitrogen for 3 min (PMN3) and oxygen for 2 min (PMO2) applied to soybean (Glycine max) seeds. Growth parameters of plants grown from treated and untreated seeds were evaluated at two growth stages: 6 and 20 days after sowing (DAS). MSAP (Methylation Sensitive Amplifed Polymorphism) markers were assayed to evaluate epigenetic changes induced by NTP treatments. Plants obtained from PMN3 and PMO2-treated seeds were phenotypically similar to each other: exhibited a superior growth at both stages. At 6 DAS root and shoot length and fresh weight surpassed the Control, while at 20 DAS root length and fresh and dry weight were higher than Control. PMN3 and PMO2 induced DNA methylation changes with respect to the Control plants, with higher diferentiation at 20 DAS than at 6 DAS. The epigenetic variability and the phenotypic variability correlated only at 20 DAS (R2=0.5). The observed phenotypic diferences among Control and NTP-treated plants could not be explained by overall changes in the methylation levels, but both demethylation and methylation changes at specifc loci appear to be operating in response to NTP treatments.