Effective method for plant wound healing

The regenerative potential of bacterial cellulose

Fig.1 Schematic drawing of treatment Fig. 2 Nicotiana Benthamiana leaf, 48 h post- treatment Plants are constantly exposed to wounding agents such as weather events (hail, wind, freezing), predators (herbivores, insects) or humans (pruning, grafting). Wounds can also occur as a result of normal development during abscission of fruits and leaves or growth cracks. Regardless of their origin, wounds are a breach of the outer protective layers of a plant giving open access to many microbial pathogens that are the causing agents of severe diseases.
Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a very efficient wound healing material currently being used in medicine due to its high biocompatibility. Now, our researchers have observed a regenerating effect in plants according to studies carried out in different species and varied woundings.
The BC material has several advantages of a biopolymer with identical molecular structure as plant cellulose, adding the fact that its chemical purity is higher. BC also has a higher grade of polymerization and crystallinity. Another important aspect of the material is the possibility of combine its structure with anti-pathogenic activity nanoparticles.
The proposed method is an easy-to-use technology applicable to many agricultural practices involving wounding that allows the increase in their efficiency and revenues.

Main innovations and advantages

· Easy-to-use material.
· Short treatment period (wound healing within 48 h) · Combination with one or more antibacterial, antifungal and/or antiviralcomponents for the prevention of infections.
· Material with high porosity, high water absorption capacity andtransparency in the UV-NIR.
· Use and application: Grafting and Agricultural industries