Cu-Chitosan Nanoparticles Stimulated Defence Responses against Bacterial Pustule Disease in Soybean Crop

Aim: Assessment of Cu-chitosan nanoparticles on controlling Bacterial disease by enhancing the activity of different antioxidant and defence enzymes in soybean. 
Study Design: Randomized block Method 
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Molecular biology and Biotechnology (MBBT), RCA, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur Sub humid southern plain region of India between 2017-2019. 
Methodology: We synthesized, characterized and tested the efficacy of Copper-chitosan Nanoparticles against Bacterial Pustule disease in Soybean. Activity of defence related enzymes [polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL)], and antioxidant [peroxidise (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)] were estimated after treating the plants with various concentrations of Cu-chitosan nanoparticles. 
Results: Three treatments of Cu-chitosan treatments (0.02, 0.06 and 0.10%) were found most efficient in disease control in both laboratory and net house condition) experiments. Cu-chitosan Nanoparticles application to soybean plants significantly enhanced the activity of defence enzymes (PAL and PPO) and antioxidant enzymes (SOD and POD) from 1.1 to 2.29 folds. 
Conclusion: Cu-chitosan NPs developed in this study were effective in controlling disease by enhancing the activity of different defence related enzymes [polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL)], and antioxidant [peroxidise (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)]. This could be an important nonmaterial research in the field of agriculture due to better compatibility of biodegradable Cu-chitosan nanoparticles with biological control. In this study, the effect of Cu-chitosan nanoparticles to boost defence responses against Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Glycine  were evaluated.