Smart nanosystems for disease-resistant potatoes: a new Frontier in nanobiotechnology

Abstract

Microbial diseases in potato crops pose significant threats to production quality and crop protection. Yield losses due to these diseases are unsustainable for a world that is increasingly reliant on potato-based diets. Conventional management strategies, including chemical and biological controls, have been employed, but they often disrupt biodiversity conservation. The resulting ecological degradation has driven researchers to seek sustainable alternatives. Emerging technologies now address phytopathogens—viruses, fungi, and bacteria—while minimizing the adverse effects of traditional methods. Among these, nanotechnology, utilizing materials with at least one dimension between 1–100 nm, has revolutionized plant health through nanopesticides and targeted pesticide delivery systems. These innovations exhibit minimal ecological impact while demonstrating potent antimicrobial activity against key potato diseases such as early blight, late blight, common scab, soft rot, and blackleg. Nanoparticles (NPs) generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which lyse microbial cells while simultaneously activating defense-related signaling pathways (salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways). These pathways upregulate pathogenesis-related (PR) genes, enhancing PR protein synthesis to combat microbial invasion. Nanotechnology has enabled the design of advanced nano-biosensors for disease detection. By leveraging nanoparticle properties such as a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, photoluminescence, electrical conductivity, and biomolecular interaction, these sensors precisely identify microbial biomarkers. Additionally, the small size, surface charge, controlled release, and tunable surface chemistry of nanoparticles help in optimizing targeted gene and drug deliveries. Nanotechnology further enhances genome-editing tools, like CRISPR/Cas9 and RNA interference (RNAi), facilitating the development of disease-resistant transgenic potato varieties. It also induces the production of antioxidant enzymes, osmolytes, stress-responsive genes, and structural barriers to mitigate abiotic stresses. In summary, nanotechnology offers a multidisciplinary approach for combating phytopathogens, ensuring sustainable potato cultivation with minimal ecological disruption.