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09 September 2023
Authors
Oluoch George
Description

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important food security crop in the world. Its productivity is however constrained by both biotic and abiotic stresses. Key among the biotic stresses is bacterial wilt disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. To date, there are no known conventional bactericides which provide effective control of this soil borne pathogen. Bioactive components of essential oils such as thymol, eugenol, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and citral have previously been reported to have a high antibacterial activity against pathogenic microbes and hence are potential antibacterials against R. solanacearum. However, their potential usage as antibacterials is limited due to their volatility, hydrophobicity, rapid degradation as well as poor solubility in water. In order to overcome these shortcomings, the use of nanotechnology is hereby proposed. This review examines the effect of nano-encapsulating these compounds in nanocarriers and recommends an appropriate bioactive compound of essential oil and its corresponding encapsulating agent that can be exploited as a bactericide for the management of R. solanacearum, the causative agent of bacterial wilt.