Production of Pathogen-free Vegetables for Better Health
Anupam Varma

Indian Agricultural Research Institute

Abstract

Vegetables are an important component of human diets for being exceptional source of vitamins, including antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E), phytochemical compounds, minerals and dietary fibres, which play an important role in human health. Vegetables are also favourable hosts of plant pathogens - viroids, viruses, phytoplasma, bacteria, fungi and nematodes, causing enormous economic losses by adversely affecting productivity and quality. These pathogens are efficiently transmitted through seeds, transplants, insect vectors, aerial dispersal of spores, soil and water. To minimise the losses caused by diseases technologies have been developed to produce pathogen-free seeds and transplants, and prevent field infections. Use of pathogen-free seeds and planting material, and protected cultivation have paid rich dividends. However, management of diseases in vegetables grown under field conditions is challenging.
A greater concern is the possibility of jumping of plant pathogens with adverse impacts on human and animal health and safety. Several plant pathogens - viruses, bacteria and fungi, have been shown to cause opportunistic infections in man and animals. For example, common plant pathogens - Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Burkholderia cepacia, are shown to also infect animals and humans. Recently, Mucor which commonly occurs in decaying fruits and vegetables caused dreadful Mucormycosis in patients recovering from COVID-19 infections. Some Fusarium and Pythium species that infect tomato and cucurbits are shown to cause blood infection in humans. Some plant viruses (Pepper mild mottle virus and Tobacco mosaic virus) and Phytoplasma infecting Solanaceous vegetables are also claimed to cause infection in humans. The biosafety of the vegetables consumed fresh is even more serious due to the food-borne infections. Salmonella and some strains of Escherichia coli, particularly Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), cause severe food-borne infections by the consumption of cont

Keywords: vegetable

Topic: Covid-19: Issues and Challenges in Vegetables for Resilience during Pandemic