Silver nanoparticles, a potential alternative to conventional anti-fungal agents to fungal pathogens affecting crop plants

Metallic silver nanoparticles have been reduced from silver nitrate by employing the extracellular enzymatic machinery of edible White button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). The physical properties of these particles, size and shapes have been determined using techniques like TEM, FTIR and XRD and were reported in our earlier report. But, what stands of paramount importance in the present context is the ability of these nanoparticles to successfully combat and nullify the pathogenic fungal strains affecting crop plants. Our study has shown that these silver nanoparticles are successful antifungal agents and can replace the conventional antifungal synthetic chemicals as we tested their efficacy against different rot causative fungi in ground nut. The experimental pathogenic fungi include Stem rot causing diseases Sclerotium rolfsii, Dry root rot causing Rhizoctonia bataticola, Collar rot causing Aspergillus niger in agricultural plants.