Why Agronomists should Consider Mitigating their Dependence on Chemical Sprays, and Deploy UV-C and Far UV.
Agronomists are the guardians of our precious food supply. They carry a great responsibility to ensure the health and safety of the crops they cultivate. One powerful tool that they can utilize to achieve this goal is UV-C technology. Agriculture is an essential field that requires new technologies to improve agriculture products and developments. To ensure food and crops are of high quality and quantity, agronomists are tasked with roles that relate to the improvement of crops by focusing on research on crop production and management, soil and water conservation, and providing potential sustainable solutions [1]. Agronomists aid farmers in producing the best possible crop quality. They assist in maintaining soil quality and provide solutions to improve the harvesting and cultivation of their yields. [1,2].
A common issue that Agronomists encounter is maintaining quality and quantity while regulating the presence of pests and diseases surrounding the crops [3]. Common chemical spray IPM methods such as pesticides have been effective for Integrated Pest Management professionals, but, chemical sprays often negatively contaminate crops, and cause negative effects on human health, as well as causing soil pollution [3]. To resolve this issue, Agronomists have been looking at sustainable alternatives like 222 nm far UV that reduce the risks posed by chemical sprays like pesticides to optimize a safer and more effective IPM strategy [3].
One powerful tool that they can utilize to achieve this goal is 222nm far-UV technology. 222nm Far-UV technology is a powerful and effective method of sterilizing surfaces and environments and has been shown to be highly effective in killing pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. This is particularly important in agronomy, as these pathogens can cause serious damage to crops and can lead to reduced yields and increased costs. 222nm far-UV can be dosed to your plants directly without disrupting Photosynehtesis. Unlike traditional sterilization methods, such as chemical sprays and heat, 222nm Far UV does not leave behind any residue or alter the taste or quality of the produce. This means that agronomists can use it to sterilize their equipment and environments without any negative effects on plant photosynthesis [10]. 222nm far-UV technology is versatile and can be used in a wide range of applications in agronomy. It can be used to sterilize seedlings, greenhouse environments, and indoor grow rooms, as well as equipment and tools used in the field. This means that agronomists can use 222nm Far UV to protect their crops at every stage of growth, from seedling to harvest.
Another advantage of 222nm far-UV technology is its cost-effectiveness. Unlike other sterilization methods, it requires no additional equipment or infrastructure and can be easily integrated into existing operations. This means that agronomists can deploy it with minimal disruption to their current practices, and can see a significant return on investment through increased yields and reduced costs.
The safest and most effective alternative to chemical sprays for Agronomists is 222nm Far UV-C-based disinfection. Shielded UV-C UVGI systems and 222nm Far UV have become the most common chemical-free technology to deploy by Agronomists that is effective in deactivating plant diseases while keeping pests away from your crop yields [4]. Ultraviolet Light, a type of electromagnetic radiation, comes in various subtypes that are classified according to the amount of energy it possesses [4,5]. As UV-C and Far UV light consists of radiation that is present in the sun, it provides an alternate energy source to supply artificial sunlight to crops. Furthermore, UV-C and 222nm Far UV are effective in disinfection as it has the required energy to break DNA chemical bonds which would cause microbes such as bacteria ineffective [5]. This is further explained as bacteria require DNA to survive and with the genetic material damaged, the pathogens are unable to function, thus proving the effectiveness of utilizing UV-C and Far UV as an alternative for disease control [5].
However, it should be noted that there are some disadvantages to applying excessive doses of UV-C and Far UV as sustainable alternatives to chemical sprays. While UV-C and Far UV are efficient in disinfecting crops at lower doses, if excessive UV doses are applied, UV-C can break the DNA chemical bonds present in plants, which would result in plant damage [6]. You must adhere to the proper UV-C dosing protocols provided by your OEM. Additionally, pathogens and pests such as bacteria and fungi in some instances survive UV radiation as some bacteria and fungus could possess photoreactivation properties, which is a DNA repair mechanism that involves removing pyrimidine dimers that blocks DNA replication [7]. This would lead to infections resisting UV-C while plants are damaged due to long exposure to UV radiation [6,7].
Furthermore, it is important that Agronomists should be informed about the differences between Far UV and UV-C. While UV-C has been shown to be more effective in disinfecting pathogens, Far UV has been proven to be a safer disinfectant tool [8,9]. This would allow Far UV to be safer to operate with people present as Far UV cannot penetrate past the dead layer of the skin in comparison to UV-C which it can cause skin cancer and erythema generation via directly modifying nucleic acid bases [8,9]. Nevertheless, 222nm Far UV is easier to be absorbed by proteins, which causes photooxidation. This would inhibit the chlorophyll's ability to photosynthesize as it causes the polymer chains present in plant cells to break [9].
In conclusion, agronomists have a great responsibility to ensure the health and safety of the crops they cultivate. Agronomists should conduct research on the applications of UV-C and Far UV to observe its potential applications and drawbacks to better understand the function of UV-C and 222nm Far UV in relation to improving crop production. 222nm Far-UV technology in particular is a powerful and effective tool that they can use to achieve their goals of increased crop yields and quality. It is human-safe, cost-effective, and versatile, making it an ideal solution for agronomists looking to protect their crops and improve their yields. It is time for agronomists to embrace this sustainable, chemical-free technology and take their responsibility to the next level.
Written by Timothy Oon BSc MBiotech
References:
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2) Ingram J. Agronomist–farmer knowledge encounters an analysis of knowledge exchange in the context of best management practices in England. Agriculture and Human Values [Internet]. 2008 Mar; 25(1): 405-418. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10460-008-9134-0
3) Marsh J. Pros and Cons of Pesticides in Agriculture. Environment.co [Internet]. 2022 Nov. Available from: https://environment.co/pesticides-pros-and-cons/
4) Lucas J. What Is Ultraviolet Light?. Live Science [Internet]. 2017 Sep. Available from:
https://www.livescience.com/50326-what-is-ultraviolet-light.html
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6) Vanhaelewyn L, Van Der Straetan D, De Coninick B, Vandenbussche F. Ultraviolet
Radiation From a Plant Perspective: The Plant-Microorganism Context. Frontiers in Plant Science [Internet]. 2020 Dec; 11. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.597642/full
7) Repair Processes for Photochemical Damage in Mammalian Cells. Advances in Radiation Biology [Internet]. 2013 Oct; 4: 1-75. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780120354047500085
8) Childress J, Roberts J, King T. Disinfection with Far-UV (222 nm Ultraviolet light). Boeing [Internet]. 2020. Available from: https://www.boeing.com/confidenttravel/downloads/CAP-3_Disinfection_with_Far-UV.pdf
9) Tavares RSN, Adamoski D, Girasole A, Lima EN, da Silva Justo-Junior A, Domingues R, Silveira ACC, Marques RE, de Carvalho M, Ambrosio LB, Leme AFP, Dias SMG. Different biological effects of exposure to far-UVC (222 nm) and near-UVC (254 nm) irradiation. BioRxiv [Internet]. 2022 Oct. Available from: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.28.514223v1
10) Potential of far ultraviolet (UV) 222 nm light for management of strawberry fungal pathogens - https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/catalog/7471565
