Solar photocatalytic disinfection of agricultural pathogenic fungi:: Fusarium species

The ability of solar-only and solar photocatalytic (TiO2) disinfection batch-process reactors to inactivate fungal pathogens was evaluated. The photocatalytic disinfection of five wild strains of the Fusarium genus (E equiseti, E oxysportan, E anthophilum, E verticillioides, and E solani), a common plant pathogen in Spain and around the world, was successfully achieved. Different disinfection times (1-6 h) were necessary to inactivate a fungus concentration in water of 10(3) CFU/mL to almost zero by solar photocatalysis. The order of sensitivity to solar disinfection was F. oxysporum > F. solani > F verticillioides > F. anthophilum > F. equiseti. The presence of the TiO2 photocatalyst under solar radiation showed a positive effect on lost fungus viability. The photocatalytic disinfection times were shorter and disinfection better than for solar-only disinfection. The order of photocatalytic sensitivity was different from solar disinfection: F. verticillioides > F. oxysporum > F. solani > F. anthophiluin > F equiseti. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.