The Silicon Review ^Asia

A new discovery by a team of scientists from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University will help to fight Tobacco Streak Virus (TSV) in the cotton crop.

The scientists have discovered a plant which promotes Rhizobacteria (amyloliquefaciens) and has the capacity to fight the virus which is responsible for the cotton disease.

An experiment was carried out by the scientists to create a buttermilk-based bio formulation which can help in controlling the cotton disease. In between 2015-2016, the scientists conducted the experiments to evaluate the efficacy of Bacillus species and photo-antiviral principles against TSV infecting cotton. The teamselected high yielding hybrid, RCH650, for further study. 

After that, the scientists created a carrier base for bacterial inoculation with the help of buttermilk. They found that the solution was strong enough to colonize rhizosphere and phylloplane of the cotton plant. It was good enough to curb the virus due to the presence of anti-microbial peptides and fatty acids in the solution.

Finally, after creating the formulation, it was then tested against the plant virus. The results were showing that the formulation was effective against the plant virus.

Traditionally, people have been using buttermilk as it has antimicrobial activity in humans and plants. In the new study published by the researcher’s states that buttermilk is a good source to curb virus concentration and is more effective when used along with Bacillus formulations.

Cotton farmers across India are affected by necrosis disease caused by TSV. The virus is transmitted in the cotton plants through thrips, a type of insect vector.