Potential of jojoba oil as a natural control agent against late blight in potato

Abstract

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are one of the most vital crops globally, serving as a staple food and economic resource. However, their production is significantly impacted by late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans. While synthetic fungicides are widely used to manage this disease, they pose significant environmental and health risks and foster the development of pathogen resistance. This study proposes an investigation into the potential of jojoba oil as a natural alternative to synthetic fungicides. Preliminary projections suggest that jojoba oil could provide effective disease control while reducing environmental harm, though further experimental validation is required.This research was designed to evaluate jojoba oil as a crude oil or nano emulsion as separate treatment or combination with standard fungicides for their antifungal activity against the plant pathogenic fungi Phytophthora infestans and determine the efficacy of these treatments for management of late blight disease of potato plants under field conditions. Also, the ability of these treatments to elicit induced resistance against late blight disease and finally, the effect of these treatments on yield characteristics of potato tubers.Jojoba oil formulations, particularly the nano-emulsion, demonstrate efficacy in managing disease, their specific impact on potato tuber quality parameters varies significantly. The marked reduction in dry matter and TSS by nano-emulsion treatments, despite good disease control, presents a challenge for their widespread adoption in commercial potato production if these quality attributes are critical. Future research should focus on optimizing nano-emulsion formulations and concentrations to achieve effective disease control without compromising crucial tuber quality characteristics.

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