Cold Plasma Therapy an Alternative to Chemical Pesticides for Managing Post-Harvest Pest in Agriculture

Pritam Das, Samaritan Dutta and Subham Das

Post-harvest losses due to infestation of insect pest and pathogens poses a significant threat to agricultural food security. Although several synthetic chemicals and preservatives are found effective but their toxic residues may posses long term affect to the humans and ecosystem. Cold plasma technology has emerged as an advance solution for managing post-harvest losses and also have plant growth promoting activities. In is a non-thermal plasma technology which generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) that inactivates pathogens and insect pest during storage conditions. Beside this, cold plasma also enhances the seed germination, promotes plant growth and extends shelf life of perishable food products. Owing to its high efficacy, low environmental impact and multifunctional mode of action, cold plasma represents a promising technology for sustainable post-harvest pest management and future smart agricultural systems.