1Department of Agricultural Sciences (DipSA), Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
2Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
3Advanced Mechanics and Materials – Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research (AMM-ICIR), Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
*Corresponding author e-mail: Nicoletta Contaldo (nicoletta.contaldo2@unibo.it)
Online published on 2 January, 2015.
Plasma activated water (PAW) was employed to treat phytoplasma infected micropropagated periwinkle shoots to verify effects on symptomatology and phytoplasma presence. The preliminary results indicate that PAW do not induce shoot toxicity, and allow an improved detection of phytoplasma presence in shoots and also in liquid phytoplasma isolation medium. The reduced symptomatology and the lack of colony formation from liquid isolation medium induce to speculate that PAW interact with phytoplasmas and/or endophytes viability. Research to verify these aspects are in progress.
Cold atmospheric pressure plasma, plasma activated water, phytoplasmas, PCR/RFLP analyses