The Use of Hydrogen Peroxide and Silver Nanoparticles in Horticulture

Abstract

Both hydrogen peroxide and silver can oxidize organic and inorganic molecules, and this causes them to affect the metabolism of living organisms in many ways. The paper presents examples of the impact of H2O2 and silver on stimulating plant growth and development and increasing plants’ resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The most underlined proposal for application in horticulture is the control of microorganisms during cultivating and storing vegetables, fruits, and flowers, aiming to replace synthetic pesticides. Preparations containing H2O2, silver, or both components can be widely used in horticulture for plant protection, in the form of spraying and soaking seedlings, to protect them during the time of storage, for disinfecting tubers, bulbs, and rhizomes before planting, for fogging potatoes and root vegetables during storage, for quick healing of wounds on the roots and aboveground parts of plants, after cutting and in the case of frost damage and injuries caused by winds, for disinfecting seeds, and, as stimulants of plant development and inducers of resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, their practical use depends on obtaining the legislator’s consent for their broader use in horticultural production.

Preliminary Tests of Tomato Plant Protection Method with Ozone Gas Fumigation Supported with Hydrogen Peroxide Solution and Its Effect on Some Fruit Parameters

“…Attention to the quality of the products of plant origin and the production environment in agriculture and horticulture has led to the withdrawal of many plant protection products from crops. Currently, there is increasing interest in biocides that leave no residues in the produced plant raw materials and are non-toxic to the natural environment [10]. When growing plants in both field and sheltered conditions, they are exposed to various biotic and abiotic stress factors.…”

“…Currently, unconventional methods of plant protection that do not pollute the natural environment and produced food are currently in demand. Some hopes are associated with hydrogen peroxide [10] or ozone gas [13], which are perceived as stress factors, but an appropriately selected dose of each stress factor can bring benefits without causing losses during plant cultivation.…”