Antifungal activity of fabricated mesoporous silica nanoparticles against early blight of tomato

There is a growing interest in the development of alternative strategies in plant disease management to reduce dependency on synthetic chemicals. In this study, we described synthesis and evaluation of the direct antifungal activity of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) compared to metalaxyl (recommended fungicide) against A. solani under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The structural features of MSN such as high porosity, small particle size and suitable shape contributed to its high antifungal efficacy against Alternaria solani. Laboratory synthesized MSN showed marked increase in tomato growth parameters compared to untreated control. Our study presents promising results of the use of MSN as an effective and safe alternative of fungicides for managing tomato early blight.