Non-Thermal Plasma Technologies for Plant Virus Inactivation: Sources, Mechanisms, and Practical Applications

Plant virus diseases reduce crop yield and quality worldwide; moreover, curative options once systemic infection is established remain scarce. Non-thermal plasma (NTP; cold atmospheric plasma) is a residuefree, near-ambient technology that generates reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) with strong virucidal activity. This review summarizes major sources of NTP, including dielectric barrier discharges, plasma jets, and corona/streamer discharges; plasma chemistry in gas and liquid phases; molecular mechanisms of virus inactivation, including capsid protein oxidation/denaturation, limited lipid peroxidation in enveloped plant viruses, and genome damage that suppresses replication. Evidence from plant virus studies indicates that highly stable viruses lose infectivity and that waterborne inactivation is efficient, supporting the use of NTP and plasma-activated water as practical tools for sanitizing irrigation water, recirculating hydroponic solutions, and contact surfaces. Emerging greenhouse studies have suggested that plasma-generated oxidants, including ozone, can curb water-mediated dissemination. Hence, we compare NTP with thermotherapy, irradiation, and chemical antiviral approaches, and discuss safety, scalability, and economic considerations. Key priorities for translation include standardized dose and chemistry metrics, infectivity-based endpoints in realistic matrices, scalable reactors that ensure uniform treatment at high throughput, and multi-site validation under commercial production conditions.