Electrochemical-Driven Sustainable Strategy for Controlling <i>Fusarium graminearum</i> and Mycotoxin Contamination in Wheat by Plasma-Activated Water

Wheat <i>Fusarium</i> head blight (FHB) caused by <i>Fusarium graminearum</i> (<i>F. graminearum</i>) greatly threatens global wheat production and produces hazardous deoxynivalenol (DON). Commonly used chemical pesticides will increase fungal resistance and DON production. Herein, we develop plasma-activated water (PAW) as an eco-friendly and chemical-free alternative. Results showed that PAW not only has the ability to kill <i>F. graminearum</i> immediately but also has a long-term effect of suppressing pathogenicity. PAW can completely inhibit lesion formation and achieve a remarkable DON reduction of 94.7% (TBI medium) and 79.6% (wheat medium). The long-term inhibition effect of PAW on pathogenicity was associated with DON biosynthesis, transmembrane transport, and MAPK signaling pathways. Field trials show that the control efficiency of Zhoumai 36 and Zhengmai 1860 achieved about 80%, and DON productions were decreased to 6.57 and 1.31 μg/g, respectively. This study offers a transformative solution for cereal crop protection within environmentally constrained scenarios.